Letter - Holnam Cement good neighbor in Pike County

To the editor: I am writing to concerned parents in Ste. Genevieve County as someone who has worked with Holnam Inc. For 12 years, my family has lived about 10 miles from Holnam's cement plant in Clarksville, Mo. The plant has been part of our community for more than 30 years.

If you are familiar with the area, you know it is a place of wonderful scenic beauty along the Great River Road. As the economic-development director for Pike County, I am concerned about making our area economically health.

But as a mother of several children, I am more concerned about making sure my children has a safe place to grow up.

I can tell you that Holnam is committed to efforts to minimize the environmental impact. The company invests a great deal of time and resources to do its part to ensure that the air, land and water are safe. The company worked with the state to set aside about 60 acres as a conservation area. Near the Clarksville plant, the bald eagle population has grown considerably in the past 20 years.

Experience has shown me that if there is a problem, Holnam and its Citizens Advisory Board work together to resolve it as quickly as possible.

Holnam is also providing good jobs at good pay. The economic ripple of these dollars into our rural communities aids our way of life. Holnam provided much-needed funding for our school district.

Please give this some consideration as you face the same issues in Ste. Genevieve County.

LORI NAY

Louisiana, Mo.