April 2003
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Permitting Scoreboard
Jefferson City, Mo.—According to the Missouri Limestone Producers Association, Senator Delbert Scott has introduced Senate Bill 630, a bill that would eliminate the requirement for sources of air emissions to obtain basic operating permits.
Torrance County, N.M.—According to the Albuquerque Journal, gravel pit owners Everett and Alma Loyd and son Nathan were issued a nonconforming use certificate by Torrance County planning and zoning officer Larry Stefan.
North Bend, Wash.—According to The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, King County issued a grading permit to Cadman, Inc., for the operation of a gravel mine and processing plant.
Elmore County, Ala.—According to The Montgomery Advertiser, the Elmore County commission is considering raising its severance tax, levied on mineral mined in the county but transported outside its boundaries. The severance tax is currently 1 cent per ton for any type of material, but the commission proposes raising the tax to 3¢ per ton for clay and gravel combinations; 5¢ per ton for sand and gravel combinations; and 6¢ per ton for rocks. Currently the tax generates $15,000 per year for the county, but the commission estimates the increased severance tax could generate as much as $150,000 per year for Elmore County.
Cromwell, Conn.—According to The Hartford Courant, members of Save Our Neighborhood recently filed a proposed amendment to zoning regulations that would prohibit sand and gravel mining operations in Cromwell.
Spanish Fork, Utah—According to The Deseret News, Spanish Fork officials have refused for the second time a request for the city to annex a former gravel pit area. City ordinances would have to be changed in order to annex the property. Terry Diehl of Spanish Fork Associates, LLC, wants to sell the gravel pit to W.W. Clyde Companies, which in turn would let one of its subsidiaries, Geneva Rock, operate it.
Clayton County, Ga.—Representatives of Newco Ventures have applied for a conditional use permit to increase the size of its construction and demolition debris landfill site to 267.3 acres, according to The Atlanta Journal and Constitution.
Swampscott, Mass.—According to The Boston Globe, representatives of the Coalition for the Health of Aggregate Industries recently filed an article for a May town meeting that would restrict Aggregate Industries from operating the quarry after 5 p.m. on weekdays, and after 1 p.m. on Saturdays. Currently the quarry operates until 10 p.m. on weekdays and 4 p.m. on Saturdays. Representatives of Aggregate Industries state they may take legal action against the town if Town Meeting members approve the proposal to limit the quarry’s operation hours.
Wilton, N.H.—According to The Union Leader, the Wilton Planning Board deferred making a decision on the expansion of a gravel operation until the matter can be examined by an independent engineer. Granite State Concrete has applied for expansion of its 22-acre operation to more than 120 acres.
Eugene, Ore.—According to The Register Guard, the state Land Use Board of Appeals recently sent a plan for a proposed gravel mine back to county officials. The appeals board mostly backed the Lane County Commissioners’ reasons for denying Eugene Sand and Gravel’s request to relocate near area farms, but returned the issue back to the county for more investigation.
State Funding Status
Juneau, Alaska—According to the Associated Press, Senate Bill 71, requiring state transportation officials to spend more on roads and less on trails and waysides, was passed.
Wilmington, Del.—According to The News Journal, the Joint Bond Bill Committee unanimously approved Governor Ruth Ann Minner’s $20 million request for emergency road repairs. According to Minner and state Secretary of Transportation Nathan Hayward, this year’s winter, which prompted federal and state emergency declarations, caused severe damage to about 100 miles of the state’s roads.
Honolulu—According to The Honolulu Advertiser, the state highway fund, the primary source for construction and road repairs in Hawaii, rose to $197.4 million at the close of the fiscal year in June 2002, which was an 8.7 percent increase over 2001.
Minneapolis—According to the Star Tribune, Governor Tim Pawlenty recently proposed that, in spite of the state’s deficit, state spending will provide at least $1 billion more for transportation over the next five years.
Baton Rouge, La.—According to The Advocate, Louisiana DOT Secretary Kim Movassaghi recently predicted that economic development in the state will continue to lag behind neighboring states if Louisiana does not spend far more to modernize its transportation system. Movassaghi also said that the state is currently in a repair mode, instead of providing funding for new construction.
Tulsa, Okla.—According to the Tulsa World, U.S. Representatives John Sullivan and Brad Carson recently rejected a transportation funding option that would result in an automatic increase in the federal gasoline tax.
Greenville, S.C.—According to The Greenville News, a recent report from Clemson University’s Strom Thurmond Institute of Government and Public Affairs states South Carolina ranks 48th in the nation on spending per mile of state-maintained roadways. The report also predicts a growing gap between the state’s highway needs and funding unless new revenue sources are designated.
Lafayette, Ind.— According to the Journal and Courier, city officials and members of the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce support increasing the federal gasoline tax. They hope for an increase in federal funding, and also hope the highway bill includes funds for a four-lane highway connecting Lafayette and Logansport.
For complete coverage of state news and construction forecast, go to State by State.