The quarry is also considered to be an outdoor classroom. Fourth graders from the nearby elementary school come to the quarry to learn about mining. “We take them down in the hole in a bus,” Shackelford says. “They have hard hats on, and they get to do the whole mining thing. We reach out to the TCEQ to teach them about the Edwards Aquifer. They also learn about conservation, agriculture, and wildlife. We show a slide show called Rocks for Breakfast that helps them understand that they deal with rocks every day, but don’t realize it. We provide them with rock kits, and local vendors come out and give them t-shirts. That’s the best part of my job, by far,” she adds.

Environmental initiatives

Before beginning any environmental initiatives, the quarry contacted the Hill Country Conservancy for environmental advice. “I knew how to make the rock, and they knew how to take care of the environment,” Shackelford says, “so they provide guidance on habitat.”

The processing plant sits in the bottom of the pit, so the steep walls help reduce noise levels.

“The Wildlife Habitat Council recognizes that most native habitat is privately owned,” Coyle says, “so their mission is to find large land holders and work with them to protect and maintain habitat. They sent a scientist out for a two-day tour and put together a 120-page report that said ‘you have this kind of plant life that needs to be protected, and you’ve got this kind of wildlife.’ They worked up a plan for everything around and in the mine, and we got certified as a wildlife habitat conservation site. Every two years, we submit a detailed report of all our wildlife activities for recertification.”

Watch this video of a haul truck dumping material into the quarry’s enclosed crusher. The most notable thing is the lack of dust.

A stock pond on the property provides the perfect setting for many environmental projects. Quarry personnel formed a team that included some neighbors. “We built bat boxes and put boulders in the pond for the turtles,” Coyle says. “We also collect Christmas trees after Christmas. The neighbors drop them off at the gate. We submerge some of them in the pond, because they make a great habitat for fish. Others are turned into mulch. The first year, we only got two trees, but last year we got more than 40.”

Protecting the Edwards Aquifer is very important to quarry personnel. There are areas on the property that have been identified during geological assessment as potential recharge features for the aquifer. Recharge zones are holes and small caves where water seeps back into the underground aquifer. These are very important to the entire aquifer system. “Development over recharge zones is always a sensitive issue,” Shackelford says. “We buffer those areas.”

Summit Materials plans to consult with an arborist to discuss the possibility of relocating trees on the property, rather than taking them down. “We can’t do that for every tree, but maybe for trees of a certain size,” Shackelford says. “I just want a better way.”

Shackelford says, if she could do it all over again, she would have started up the quarry advisory committee before ever applying for a permit. “You get interested in the community, and they get interested in you,” she adds. “It may not be the most fun conversation in the beginning, but in the end, the committee works. It has been a wild ride, but it has been really good. Summit is an incredible company, and they are focused on today’s environment.”

Processing Equipment

Nordberg NP1520 impact crusher

Nordberg TS4.3 triple-deck TS

inclined screen (2)

Syntron F-450C feeder

Syntron MF-400 feeder

Brunone dust suppression system

Corrugated top belt covers