Cemex Granted Permit Approval in Ohio
The Fairborn, Ohio, city council overruled an earlier city planning board decision and granted Cemex rezoning of two Xenia Twp., Ohio, parcels. The decision allows the company to use the land located 250 feet from residential properties on West Enon and West Hyde Roads as quarries.
Mining operations are estimated to begin in 2019. The mining plan begins in the southwest part of the property, proceeds east, then north, and finishes in the parcel in Bath Township that is currently zoned for mining.
Cemex’s Fairborn plant is one of two operating cement plants in the state of Ohio. The company stated that, “Continuing our mining operations will supply U.S.-produced cement for local roads, schools and other infrastructure projects in Ohio, keep quality jobs in the Fairborn area, and continue to support local vendors and companies that assist us in our operations.”
Martin Marietta Lands Site Approval in Colorado
According to the Coloradoan, a hotly disputed proposal to build an asphalt and concrete distribution center in Greeley, Colo., received a green light. The Weld County, Colo., commissioners approved a proposal by Martin Marietta to develop a 133-acre site, about a half mile south of U.S. Highway 34 off Weld County Road 13, to supply construction materials.
The commissioners said the proposal meets the standards of the county’s land-use code and comprehensive plan. The U.S. 34 corridor can support many types of uses, including industrial, residential and commercial, said Commissioner Barbara Kirkmeyer.
The unanimous decision came after an all-day hearing during which dozens of people testified for and against the proposal. Supporters, including representatives of business groups and the construction industry, said the project is needed to meet the region’s growing need for asphalt and concrete.
Pennsylvania Operation Under Scrutiny for Dumping
Whitehall Township, Pa., officials, undeterred by trucks rumbling into Coplay Aggregates property with alternative fill material, still hope to halt the process, according to a report in The Morning Call.
Township commissioners are requesting the Zoning Hearing Board consider vacating its 2012 decision to allow Coplay Aggregates to deposit fill on the property. The commissioners argue that the company’s switch to a different type of fill material should invalidate the approval.
“It’s not something we wanted to do, but it’s something we felt like we had to do,” Commissioner President Linda Snyder said of the request for the zoning board.
Coplay Aggregates secured approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection in July to dump regulated fill, rather than just clean fill, into abandoned quarries in their pursuit to re-purpose the space at 5101 Beekmantown Road. Regulated fill consists of soil, rock, stone, dredged material, used asphalt, historic fill, brick and block, or concrete from construction or demolition activities.
The DEP regularly tests samples of the fill since it could contain hazardous materials that clean fill – consisting of materials that don’t contain contaminants – does not. For years, Coplay Aggregates used clean fill at the quarry and township leaders, citing company violations in the past, were troubled to learn about the new permit approval they said came without scrutiny.
Canadian Quarry Seeks Permit
According to the Revelstoke Times, Revelstoke, Canada, council asked for more information about the environmental impact of a proposed gravel pit before issuing a development permit. However, the decision on whether or not the gravel pit will be authorized rests with the provincial government.
Revelstoke Sand & Gravel applied to develop an 8.1 hectare quarry on Crown land off Westside Road, across the Columbia River from the golf course. The quarry would be located 200 m from the river, and about 600 m from the clubhouse. The company plans to extract about 10,000 cu. m of aggregate from the pit every year over the first five years of operation.
They have filed two applications – a land use application with the province for use of Crown land, and a development permit application with the City of Revelstoke.