Alabama Quarry Opposed
Opelika, Ala.-based OAonline reported that Creekwood Resources, a company based out of Florence, Ala., submitted applications for air and National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits. The latter would enable the company to discharge select pollutants into local waters, with limits placed on how often it could be done.
Residents have been posting yard signs outside of their homes, especially in the neighborhoods located nearest to the proposed quarry site, to support the city’s opposition to the quarry.
A lake, which is the city’s primary source for drinking water, is less than two miles away from where the quarry would be located. Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller invited citizens to join a number of city officials and organizations at a meeting last month to get more information and better understand the situation.
DEQ Seeks Feedback on Montana Quarry Permit Application
According to KXLH, people living in the will have a chance to weigh in on a Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) permit for a proposed gravel pit two miles north of Helena, Mont.
Valley Sand and Gravel has requested an open cut mining permit for the site to mine sand and gravel. The 61-acre site is off Mill Road, just west of McHugh Drive. Neighbors have expressed concerns over potential noise and the impact on water wells and property values.
DEQ must assess the application under a tight timeframe and is seeking relevant information from citizens with knowledge of local conditions.
If comments received reveal substantial issues not adequately satisfied in the proposed Plan of Operation, DEQ may determine an extended review of the application is necessary.
Martin Marietta Seeks Expansion in North Carolina
Martin Marietta Materials has applied for regulatory permission to expand its existing limestone quarry operations in Rocky Point, N.C., to the south toward the Northeast Cape Fear River.
The proposed 511-acre expansion would eventually include two separate mining areas, and would involve impacts to 63 acres of wetlands, about 6,500 linear ft. of streams, another 7,200 linear ft. of permanent ditches, and almost two acres of open ponds, according to Star News Online.
According to its permit application to the Army Corps of Engineers, the company has promised to mitigate these impacts over the next decade or so by purchasing credits – covering 126 acres of wetlands and about 1,100 linear ft. of streambed – from the Northeast Cape Fear Umbrella Mitigation Bank.
Martin Marietta has operated a quarry on this property since 1983, with a previous expansion having been approved in 2004.
Tennessee Company Applies for Quarry Permits
Tayes Hollow Property LLC, doing business as Tayes Hollow Quarry, has applied to the Tennessee Division of Air Pollution Control for construction of a rock crushing and sizing operation at 10600 Henry Cemetery Road in Monterey, Tenn., according to a notice published in the Herald-Citizen. The site is located about six miles southeast of Monterey City Hall off Highway 84.
“The proposed operation would consist of rock crushers, screens, bins, conveyors, and associated equipment used for the crushing and sizing of rock,” the notice read. “Wet suppression would be used for pollution control. There would be physical construction. Regulated air contaminants would be emitted by this source.”
A flyer from concerned citizens is urging residents to “attend the air quality permit hearing and say no to diesel fumes from trucks and equipment, silica dust from crushing and blasting, increased risk of asthma (and) noise pollution from truck traffic and equipment use.”
Canadian Quarry Expansion Includes Parks
Nelson Quarry will be submitting applications under the Aggregate Resources Act, Planning Act and Niagara Escarpment Planning and Development Act to expand its existing quarry in Burlington, Ontario, Canada, on lands located to the south of its current operations at 2433 No. 2 Sideroad, and on the site of the current Burlington Springs Golf Course, which is adjacent to the quarry.
The proposed changes will allow for the expansion of the quarry as Burlington’s main source of limestone aggregate for construction. Concurrent with quarry expansion, Nelson proposed that rehabilitated portions of the quarry will be turned into parkland that would form the largest park in Burlington at nearly 1,000 acres.