• According to The Claiborne Progress, some community members maintain that The Rogers Group’s quarry operation in Speedwell, Tenn., “is ruining the land and polluting the air and water while The Rogers Group shows no regard.” This exaggeration was disputed hands-down by The Rogers Group, which stated, “Crushed stone from the plant in Speedwell is being used in the Highway 63 improvement project in Claiborne and Campbell counties. Public notices were issued and all necessary permits to operate the plant were obtained and are on file with Claiborne County.” The disgruntled community members want the county to draft an ordinance that would prohibit blasting, surface mining or rock crushing operations inside residential areas, and say they are pursuing other options. Meanwhile, the Highway 63 improvement project continues to receive some excellent stone.
• The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has approved the expansion of Simon Quarry, an existing sand and gravel quarry on public land near Indio, Calif., in Riverside County. The decision authorizes Simon Concrete & Aggregate LLC, owned and operated by Superior Ready Mix Inc., to utilize an additional 132 acres of public land to provide the greater Coachella Valley area with construction aggregate products. “The BLM completed an environmental analysis and received input from the public, Tribes, and our partners to help inform our decision,” said Tim Gilloon, BLM Palm Springs-South Coast field manager. “The BLM promotes healthy and productive public lands and is committed to responsible mining that balances conservation and mineral development, an important land use within the BLM’s multiple-use mandate.” The existing concrete mixing and asphalt plant and quarry occupy about 100 acres of BLM-managed public land and have been in operation since 1987. The plant and quarry support 60 jobs and generates about $375,000 per year in mineral royalties for the federal government. The decision record approves the mining plan, which expands the quarry an additional 132 acres, totaling 232 acres of disturbance on public land. The approval is estimated to result in a total extraction of 45.7 million tons of aggregate products over the next 95 years.