The reason the entire state should care is that the area is near two well-traveled roads, a church and a mobile home park. There are monitoring devices installed, but now is the critical time to get the work done to ‘fill the hole’ before lives are lost and property destroyed.

• Estimated damages, if there is a total collapse: $750 million.

• Estimate to fix the problem: $35 million.

Yesterday, the Senate killed several bills sponsored by Senator Leavell to fund the project, saying the community should seek funding in places other than where he proposed. From NMBC’s perspective, we aren’t proposing where the money should come from, but we are saying it needs to be found during this legislative session.

We’ve been talking about this issue for a few years now and it’s time for the talking to stop and action to take place.