In response to the article about Rep. Shipley pushing for a carbonite plant, do we really want the first carbonite plant on Earth to be located in downtown Kingsport? Why would anyone in their right mind want to be a guinea pig for the manufacturing of such a new, uncharted product? It seems ridiculous that Rep. Shipley would even consider Kingsport for a plant that produces a product that is stripped of mercury and other harmful substances. Where will these byproducts go? Into our water? Into the already noxious air that we are forced to breathe downtown? We need another air pollutant in Kingsport like we need another hole.
Without proof that the process of manufacturing carbonite is safe for the environment, I don’t think we should be considering putting it so close to a populated area, let alone our beautiful downtown. Stick it out someplace away from people until we find out what the byproducts are going to do to us. I can just see the headlines in 10 or 20 years: “It seemed like a good idea at the time” or “What were we thinking?”
Patti Lawrence
Kingsport
