Bravo to Governor Lee for the $370 million for new State Parks and for expanding the Mountain Goat Trail, Fiery Gizzard, Savage Gulf and The South Cumberland Park, which are all reached through the city of Monteagle. What is most disturbing and distressing for these beautiful, natural assets of the State, its citizens and tourists, is the proposed 20 acre, 150 parking space Petro truck stop in our two mile wide small city of Monteagle, at Exit 135, which is the entrance for The Gateway to the South Cumberland Plateau.
A local non-profit organization, United to Protect the Plateau, has provided to state government, including Rep. Janice Bowling and Rep. Iris Rudder, volumes of proof of water, air and noise pollution. Our town's drinking water source, Laurel Lake, has already been affected by the run off of this site, per a dye study performed by The University of the South, Sewanee, and it hasn't even been built.
Thank God for our truckers, but there is already a Pilot truck stop at exit 135. Should this project be built, Monteagle will suffer the severe consequences produced by this massive site.
Debra Powell Reed
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If, as Ms. Reed states, there are problems on site before a business has been built, someone needs to find out what the problem is. Maybe the building of the new truck stop will employ local people, thus putting bread on their table. Then maintaining the truck stop will employ even more local people. Tax dollars will help the revenue base of Monteagle.
I only see an upside to this progress. Truckers and travelers alike will enjoy the new business. They will need cooks, cashiers, fuel island help and workers. How is this a bad thing?
Julia Buckner