In response to the Record-Eagle's editorial of Oct. 9, I take this opportunity to commend the paper for continuing to question and challenge the supposedly objective "public process" structured to "determine the fate of the Boardman River Dams."
The local residents who actually participated in the process have been angered over and over again that it has been a dam removal process from the beginning. Even key leaders of the Implementation Team have admitted that their desire and plan was dam removal from the beginning.
The Implementation Team was to be comprised of major stakeholders related to the dams, but the Dams Restoration Coalition, along with our firm (proposing hydroelectric power), were blocked and prevented from having representation. The Restoration Coalition is a group of local citizens and property owners who came together, along with our firm, to specifically represent saving the dams.
But since the personal agenda of most Implementation Team members was dam removal, they prevented us from bringing balance into the process. So our firm, as owners of all the hydroelectric equipment at Boardman and Sabin dams, along with local residents and property owners with frontage on the Boardman Pond, are not considered stakeholders in the fate of the dams.
Our firm has invested more than $100,000 in actual cash and expenses to see these renewable hydroelectric resources returned to productive service, and notwithstanding that significant stake in the process, we have been blocked and criticized for intervening in their dam removal process.
The removal process will require at least three to five years and cost the taxpayers millions of dollars. Our firm, on the other hand, offered to pay all costs required to restore hydroelectric power production and divide the net revenue with the community.
Peterson Machinery is still ready, able and willing to thoroughly explain and discuss our plan for the viability of electric power generation at the three dams with the city and county. But we need community support to preserve these dams and the constitutional rights of property owners and to reproduce hydroelectric power as a renewable energy source.
Restoring electric power generation at the three dams will be insurance to this community when an energy crisis occurs. Remember, these dams are the only reliable and continuous renewable energy source in our area.
Do we want to preserve property owners' rights and produce renewable energy for this community, or do we want our money wasted on removing productive resources? Our country is still "of the people, by the people and for the people," but we must respond to our elected and appointed officials. The best way to do this is to contact the city and county commissioners and a Dams Restoration Coalition representative or me.
About the author: Charles Peterson of Peterson Machinery Sales in Northport purchased all the hydroelectric equipment at Boardman and Sabin dams from Traverse City Light & Power for the purpose of restoring power generation.
About the forum: The forum is a periodic column of opinion written by Record-Eagle readers in their areas of interest or expertise. Submissions of 500 words or less may be made by e-mailing letters@record-eagle.com. Please include biographical information and a photo.
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