| State & Province News |
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January 2007
by , Executive Editor |
ArkansasGranite Mountain Quarries and Gillam Park are once again exploring a proposed land swap. The Arkansas Times reports that Audubon Arkansas supports the swap agreement — with certain reservations. The organization has a long-term lease on some of the land in Gillam Park that may be affected by the swap and plans to invest $5 million into a nature center on the property — as long as the new borders established through such a swap are firmly fixed. As part of the arrangement, Granite Mountain Quarries would give the city a 130-acre L-shaped piece of property that intrudes into the park property in exchange for approximately 100 acres along the park’s south side and along a local interstate. Through the arrangement, the park’s borders could be squared off and the quarry could gain mineral-rich property. California Voters in Tulare County approved Measure R, a half-cent sales tax earmarked for infrastructure improvements. According to the Visalia Times-Delta, the county has a backlog of roads needing repairs totaling about $500 million, but had funds to repair only about a third of those roads. Through Measure R, the county now has a 30-year tax on all sales in the county, which is expected to generate between $650 million to $1 billion annually. In one survey, 73 percent of county respondents said that they believe road repair is necessary. Connecticut The town of Colchester has taken a tough stance on sand and gravel operations in the town, prompting four separate lawsuits. According to the Hartford Courant, the town’s zoning enforcement official issued cease-and-desist orders to four gravel operations because their zoning permits were not current. Attorneys for the operations say that the operations should be grandfathered by pre-existing zoning regulations that allow such operations. Community concerns about the safety of recycling at one of the operations prompted the focus on the issue. Idaho A two-year-old lawsuit alleging Nez Perce County and the city of Lewiston gave an unfair advantage to a bidder of an airport construction project has been dismissed. The Lewiston Morning Tribune reports that the suit was dismissed “with prejudice” meaning that it cannot be refiled, although it can be appealed to a higher court. Two companies, M.A. DeAtley Construction of Clarkston and Ascorp Inc. of Orofino, filed the lawsuit which alleged that the low bidder of the $4.7 million runway reconstruction project was able to submit a lower bid by gaining access to a county-owned gravel pit adjacent to the project. Illinois Three developers are competing for the opportunity to develop a 500-acre gravel pit into a resort community in Crystal Lake. Members of Chicago’s City Council will have to choose between three groups seeking to redevelop the Vulcan Lakes property. The property, which Vulcan Materials Co. deeded to the city when it ceased operations there in 1999, has been designated as a tax-increment-financing district and would use property taxes to pay for new roads, parks, and other amenities on the site. A developer is expected to be selected by early 2007. Kansas Saline County planning commissioners say that Johnson Sand violated its conditional use permit for a surface sand mining operation by operating an irrigation pump after regular business hours. The Salina Journal reports that the company can continue to operate with no additional restrictions. Gary Johnson, owner of the company, told the newspaper that the irrigation pump was used to pump water into the sand pit 24 hours a day so that the dredge can remain afloat until the mine is deep enough to reach the water table. The water table has now been reached, and Johnson apologized for any inconvenience caused by pump noise. Louisiana Neighbors of a Watson gravel pit owner are complaining about pre-daylight truck traffic and the accompanying noise, spurring the parish council to consider draft an ordinance on hours of operation. The Advocate reports Southern Aggregate has moved up its hours of operation to 4 a.m. in order to accommodate local need for aggregates. As contract truck drivers use their horns and compression brakes during the early hours, neighbor complaints were generated. The local producer told the parish council that his agreement was to not open prior to 6 a.m. when he was able, but the earlier hours are customer dictated. He added that he welcomed the presence of law enforcement officers to assist with trucking issues. Massachusetts The town of Charlton will have to continue its search for a viable source of potable water. According to the Telegram & Gazette, engineering consultants hired by the city informed city commissioners that they had investigated all likely sand and gravel sites with potential water sources. Only one site had been identified outside the floodwater area, but it had iron, manganese, and potential arsenic impurities. One consultant told commissioners that he believed the state Department of Environmental Protection would like it to abandon its search for wells in sand and gravel sites and to explore bedrock well sites instead. Michigan Stoneco is expected to present revised plans for a proposed gravel pit in Richland Township, according to the Battle Creek Enquirer. Originally planned as a 853-acre site, plans have been scaled back to 672 acres to address concerns about the impact of the operation on local wildlife and farm land. According to the operation project manager, hydro-geologists have determined that the proposed plan would not negatively affect a nearby cold water trout stream. The revised site plan would also protect several woodlots that could potentially serve as habitat for Indiana bats. Minnesota Minnesota voters committed the state government to a higher level of infrastructure investment. On Nov. 7, they approved an amendment to the state constitution that is expected to funnel an additional $300 million a year into transportation projects, the Associated Press reports. The amendment will be phased in during the next five years until the annual funding levels reach $300 million by 2011. Minnesotans for Better Roads and Transit, a coalition of more than 1,000 groups and businesses, spent approximately $3.5 million on billboards and advertising in support of the campaign. New Mexico A Farmington businessman faces up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine after pleading guilty in federal court to giving a gratuity to a public official. In return, prosecutors dropped charges of bribery in regards to a case involving a former U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) geologist. According to the Associated Press, Curtis Slade admitted giving $4,000 to a former BLM official throughout 2002 in exchange for help in getting permits to mine sand and gravel on BLM land at Crouch Mesa. The geologist has since resigned from the bureau. New York Red Wing Properties has spent more than $700,000 in litigation and other fees trying to gain permission for an operation in the town of LaGrange and expects to face a similar situation in the town of Milan where it hopes to expand a current operation, the Poughkeepsie Journal reports. In Milan, the producer is challenging the town board’s decision to eliminate its light industrial zone following complaints about its proposed expansion project. According to a local geologist, the area is already feeling the impact of local resistance to mining, noting that the price of sand per ton in the lower Hudson Valley is already nearly double the cost of sand in the greater Albany area. North Dakota Northern Nevada’s highway project is back on track after the Nevada Department of Transportation awarded a $393.3 million contract to complete the job. North Dakota-based Fisher Sand & Gravel Co. won the job. According to the Nevada DOT, the project will cost more than $100 million more than original estimates, largely due to double-digit inflation that boosted the cost of steel, asphalt, and fuel. Oregon Robert Pamplin Jr., chairman and CEO of Ross Island Sand & Gravel, is working out an agreement with Tom Potter, the mayor of Portland, to donate a portion of Ross Island to the city. The donation is expected to include two parcels of land with approximately 60 acres. The land donation has been on the table for five years, The Oregonian reports. Pamplin cites lack of response from the city to his earlier overtures as part of the reason why the company plans to donate a portion of the island rather than the island in its entirety. He also told the newspaper that he’s spent $20 million repairing environmental damage to the property. Tennessee At Aggregates Manager’s press time, the Mississippi DEQ was slated to host a hearing on a proposed Bogue Chitto River gravel mine in Tylertown. The Commercial Appeal reports that a local activist — and marina owner — has launched a public campaign against the operation. If approved, mining would take place on 30 acres at depths of up to 40 feet. The permit applicant, B & J Backhoe of Franklinton, La., told the newspaper that the proposed mine would not cause the environmental damage the activist has predicted. Washington An expansion proposal for Concrete Nor’West of Burlington faces opposition from a nearby elementary school. The Bellingham Herald reports that the company has asked Whatcom County to mine 25 acres near an existing quarry in Nooksack. The land is believed to hold 1.7 million cubic yards of sand and gravel. Although school officials did not return the newspaper’s request for comment, the county planner said that they were concerned about children walking or biking along the operation. Virginia Luck Stone Corp. is planning an expansion and renovation at its Goochland County headquarters, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Company officials told the newspaper that it is making a $25 million investment, driven by the need for more space as its business grows. During the last five years, Luck Stone has acquired three Virginia quarries and opened another. Wisconsin Having its land annexed by the village of Twin Lakes may be one route to future development for Fox Lake-based Thelen Sand and Gravel Inc. The company wants to mine 350 to 400 acres of a 1,240-acre site it owns in the town of Randall, however, the town has a moratorium on the development of gravel pits. A proposal for the neighboring village of Twin Lakes to annex the land would allow development of both the aggregates operation and a subsequent 1,240-housing unit community. According to The Daily Reporter, the village president spoke highly of both the plan for annexation and the development, which would eventually provide the village with a minimum of $7 million in annual taxes from the proposed housing development. Province News Preston Sand and Gravel faces some resistance to local government officials regarding its plans to open a gravel pit in Puslinch Township in Cambridge, Ontario. The Record reports that the company has talked with township officials, submitted studies, and held a public meeting under the provincial Aggregates Resources Act, but township council members have voted to oppose the project until the Grand River Conservation Authority and Ministry of Natural Resources have completed their studies. State Spotlight Luck Stone recognized for its reclamation efforts The Division of Mineral Mining of the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME) and the Virginia Transportation Construction Alliance (VTCA) honored Luck Stone Corp.’s Construction Aggregates division at its annual convention in Virginia Beach, Va., for its reclamation efforts at the company’s former sand and gravel operation in King William County. Luck Stone received an honorable mention award in VTCA’s award reclamation program, Best Reclamation-Quarry, which recognizes companies that demonstrate a high level of resourcefulness, innovation, and timeliness that result in successful mine reclamation, while preserving minerals that are vital to the economy of Virginia. “We’re very proud of this group of associates that are working on reclaiming the land in King William County,” says Bill Chenault, vice president of Luck Stone’s Southern Region. “I hope their creativity and innovation in land-use planning will inspire others in our industry with their reclamation efforts. “Our group’s diligence and unmatched commitment to reclaiming the land at our King William site are admirable,” he adds.
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Reprinted from Aggregates Manager Magazine |
