Jan. 4, 2024 – There is an interesting article in Birmingham Watch, entitled, “In Alabama, What Does It Take to Shut Down a Surface Mine Operating Without Permits?” The article begins, “When state environmental regulators in June approached the president of Rock Creek Stone, an Alabama-based sandstone quarry along Rock Creek, they were clear that a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit and an air pollution permit, were required for operation, according to state records.
“I reminded Mr. Johnson that he should not be operating without a NPDES Permit and an Air Permit,” a state employee wrote in a report, referring to the quarry’s president, Drew Johnson. “I reiterated that the operation should not have commenced without those permits being issued.”
“Less clear was whether Johnson intended to cease operations. “Mr. Johnson said that he didn’t think he could stop operating due to financial issues,” the employee wrote.
“So continued a months-long ordeal in which residents living near the quarry repeatedly complained to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management about environmental violations, only to watch Rock Creek Stone continue to operate without permits.”
Read the entire article here.