According to the Green Valley News, Vulcan Materials submitted an application for a conditional use permit with the Town of Sahuarita, Ariz., to operate a hot mix asphalt plant at its current sand and gravel mining operation along Old Nogales Highway, just over a half-mile from some of the northernmost homes in Quail Creek.
Residents have since raised a number of concerns, including increased truck traffic, air quality, odor and noise emanating from the plant and the overall impact a hot mix asphalt facility would have on property values. Vulcan’s permit application, which is available on the Town of Sahuarita’s website, is under review by the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission. That review process could take up to two months to complete, according to town officials.
According to the Colorado Sun, Garfield County, Colo., has the right to regulate and impose restrictions on Rocky Mountain Industrials’ Mid-Continent limestone quarry just above the city of Glenwood Springs, Colo. The Colorado Court of Appeals ruling on Feb. 16 upheld a 2019 notice of violation issued by the county. The original special-use permit issued by Garfield County for the quarry detailed seasonal restrictions on operations from Dec. 15 to April 15 to prevent the disruption of wintering local wildlife. Garfield County issued a notice of violation against the mine and its owner in 2019 when members of the Glenwood Springs Citizens’ Alliance reported that the company was operating beyond the 16-acre boundary set out in the county’s special-use permit. Rocky Mountain Industrials, which is pursuing an expansion of its mining operation with the Bureau of Land Management, sued in response, claiming that the mine fell under state or federal jurisdiction and Garfield County had no right to regulate their operations.
According to the Connecticut Post, a building materials supply company won approval from Monroe, Conn., planning and zoning officials to build a rock crushing and screening plant. The town’s Planning and Zoning Commission voted 4-1 to approve the proposal. Monroe Recycling and Aggregates LLC will crush brick, concrete, asphalt paving fragments and other materials. It will also make products that include screened topsoil, screened dirt fill and bedding sand. “We’re happy with the outcome and look forward to getting this up and operational,” Chris Pawlowski of Solli Engineering, the firm hired by Monroe Recycling and Aggregates, said in an interview.