VULCAN NOVA SCOTIA PROJECT MOVES FORWARD
According to the Guysborough Journal, proponents of Vulcan Materials’ Black Point Quarry project were in a celebratory mood when Environment Minister Margaret Miller gave environmental approval to the plan for a 355-hectare quarry, with a marine terminal and loading facility in Chedabucto Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada.
On April 26, Miller said that any adverse or significant environmental effects of the $100 million project can be mitigated through terms and conditions. The environmental assessment was a joint provincial-federal process.
Vulcan said it is grateful to all the stakeholders including the community liaison committee, Morian Resources, MODG, the Mi’kmaq people and the people of Nova Scotia. The company also appreciated the professionalism of the regulatory agencies who have assessed the project. Once operational, the quarry is expected to create 50 jobs.
Dock Construction Faces Opposition
According to the CBC, plans to build a new dock in Windsor, Ontario, Canada’s west end has alarmed some environmentalists who are concerned about protecting the Detroit River. In the coming months, Brighton Beach Aggregates will be placing chunks of concrete into the Detroit River – directly across from Zug Island – to build the dock that is expected to be completed by September.
Company owner, and former Lakeshore town councilor, Francis Kennette said the 79,000-sq.-ft. area needed to build his dock will increase his ability to bring in shipments of construction aggregate.
To compensate for any interference with fish habitat – the threatened channel darter and endangered northern madtom have been found nearby – Kennette is required by Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans to create a fish habitat in the surrounding area.
Environmental activists, who have been monitoring the area for years, still have concerns. “If foreign materials are dropped into the river, we don’t know what effect that will have on the condition of the river itself,” said Tom Henderson, chairman of the public advisory council for the Detroit River Canadian Cleanup.
Missouri Operation Seeks Permit
Meramec Aggregates is requesting a conditional use permit (CUP) from the Franklin County, Mo., planning and zoning commission, according to The Missourian. The aggregate company is seeking a permit for production and sales of sand and gravel on a 60-acre site in the nonurban and agricultural district.
This is the fourth time since April 2014 that Meramec Aggregates has been before the commission. This time, however, it is for a different site. In April 2014 the company sought a CUP that was denied by the commission. In November 2014, Meramec Aggregates provided a more thorough application for a CUP for the same site. The board approved the permit.
New Gravel Rule Changes Setback Calculation
According to The Advocate, the Livingston, La., parish council adopted changes to the parish’s gravel mining regulations that residents of a Watson, La., neighborhood said will diminish their quality of life.
The gravel mining rule changes include a different way of calculating setbacks from adjacent homes, shorter berm heights and earlier hours for trucks to load gravel each morning.
Watson resident Mark Olson said the changes are all wins for Southern Aggregates and losses for him and his neighbors.
The company plans to locate a mining operation next to Olson’s neighborhood of Oak Hills Subdivision. The new setback rules could put both the berm and the mining operation closer to homeowners’ property lines, he said.
Four Permit Renewals Considered in Wyoming
Four quarry permit renewals were considered by the Sheridan County, Wyo., commissioners. All but one passed with little or no discussion, the commission said.
Paul Del Rossi, who lives near the JC Ranch Quarry, voiced concerns about the 20-year length of the permit that was being requested, and dust suppression near his residence. Commissioners agreed to extend the application of magnesium chloride further to the west to help suppress the dust near Del Rossi’s home.
After a prolonged discussion, commissioners voted in favor of renewing the permit for 20 years. Commission Chair Bob Rolston said that if any issues arose about the quarry throughout that time, the commission has the authority to bring the owner and operator of the quarry back before the board.