In rural Bethel I’m writing about lithium deposits in Newry, Rumford and Hanover areas of the state. People should ask their legislators to carefully consider language in mining bills and laws: guard against the harm it might do to water, people, wildlife and the beauty of life here.

Legislation language can be used to subvert true stewardship. As a conscientious steward, one shouldn’t let the state’s health and natural quality be debased through dangerous mining practices and nature’s depletions — all in order to make careless Mainers or non-Mainers richer.

The property values of neighbors nearby would go down and the quality of their lives be degraded: constant stress of the noise of heavy machinery mining all day long across the stream or valley from people, wind-borne dust going into that stream and into neighbors’ lungs, and the devastating effect on surrounding wildlife.

I was against putting wind turbines on mountain ridges in Greenwood, Bethel and elsewhere due to the density of noise pollution and impact it would have on people living below them. To have to listen to any large noise in one’s neighborhood continually can be distressing on a continual basis.

Voters and legislators should consider their stewardship of natural Maine and its communities in this legislation.

Susan Dorman, Bethel