Massachusetts Quarry Gets a Cease and Desist
The town of Acushnet, Mass., issued a cease and desist order to a PJ Keating operation on Aug. 10 demanding that all operations shut down, according to Sun Coast Times.
Detractors allege 23 federal and state violations related to stormwater management, pollution of encompassing protected wetlands, airborne dust nuisances and how the facility handles its stockpiles of asphalt shingles, mining waste and other raw materials.
Blasting in the quarry was halted because it requires approval and permitting from the fire chief. Asphalt production, while unrelated to the cease and desist order from the board of health, continued to be on pause due to permit issues with the Department of Environmental Protection.
Other actions, like processing rock and selling products to customers, continued on site, despite the cease and desist order.
Wisconsin Quarry Faces Denial
Despite assurances from a company representative, the Sun Prairie, Wis., Plan Commission voted Sept. 8 to recommend denial of a proposed quarry along Highway C in the Village of Windsor, Wis., according to the Sun Prairie Star.
However, because the city holds no veto authority over the proposed quarry development in a neighboring municipality, any final action taken on the recommendation by the Sun Prairie City Council could be disregarded by the Windsor Village Board during its final approval deliberations.
Tri-County Paving Inc. is applying for approval of a re-zoning request and nonmetallic mining license to operate a quarry on the west side of Highway C approximately 2.5 miles north of Highway 19 (Windsor Street) on the Steve and Kay Hoffman Farm in the Village of Windsor. The proposed quarry would be approximately 84 acres in size and accessed via one ingress/egress drive on the west side of C.
Dufferin Granted Hours of Operation Extension
Dufferin Aggregates has been granted an hours of operation extension and an alternative haul route through Morriston, Ontario, Canada, during construction at the intersection of Wellington Roads 46 (Brock Road) and 34, according to the Wellington Advisor.
At the Sept. 2 virtual meeting of the Puslinch council, Kevin Mitchell of CRH Canada Group Inc., which operates in Puslinch as Dufferin Aggregates, said the agreed upon haul route between Aberfoyle Pit 1 (125 Brock Road) and Aberfoyle Pit 2 (4445 Victoria Road South) would be impacted by construction set to begin on Sept. 8.
The haul route normally takes material extracted from Pit 2 on Victoria Road north to Wellington Road 34, west to Brock Road, then south to the Pit 1 entrance beside Nestle Waters Canada in Aberfoyle. The pit is annually licensed to operate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday from May 1 to Nov. 30.
Connecticut Quarry Hears Community Opposition
Greenwich, Conn., residents attending a recent planning board meeting almost unanimously opposed a proposed sand and gravel mine according to the Post-Star. At issue is an application for a special use permit from Greenwich Materials LLC, to open a gravel pit on 13.8 acres of an 88.7-acre parcel. Another 0.8 acres would be disturbed for a total of 14.6 acres.
Out of the 27 people who spoke during an almost two-hour public hearing and another nine who sent written comments, only three were in favor. Opponents cited concerns about noise, dust, potential effects on their wells and local water quality, an increase in traffic, lack of conformity to the town’s zoning laws, and loss of property value if the planning board issues a special use permit for the project.
The Department of Environmental Conservation issued a five-year permit on July 3. Under the permit, the mine could operate up to 61 hours a week, with only Sundays and the six major federal holidays excluded. Board members tabled the issue for later discussion.