Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/632397
by Kerry Clines | Contributing Editor PLANT PROFILE 14 AGGREGATES MANAGER / February 2016 M artin Marietta's Guernsey Quarry is nestled in the hills and glacial landscapes of southeastern Wyoming on the outskirts of Guernsey, a small town with a population of just over 1,000. The quarry, quite literally, is rife with aggregate deposits. Five geological rock types are being mined at the quarry — limestone, dolomite, quartzite, basalt, and sandstone — which provide a very colorful array of stockpiles. "The geolo- gists have a theory of how all these dif- ferent deposits ended up together," says Tim Kuball, plant manager, "but I just say the good Lord put them here." With so many different deposits, there are just as many pits being mined. Kuball explains that the limestone is used, primarily, for construction materials in Nebraska, and dolomite, which is mined in what he calls the pink pit because of its color, is used for construction mate- rials in Wyoming. The quartzite is used for chip seals and whenever a high abrasion specifi cation is required. It is also in demand as a landscaping material because of its red color. The black basalt is used to make ballast for the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway, as well as for asphalt and cover coat chips. Sand- stone is buckskin colored and, because it is a somewhat soft rock, is used only for landscape material. Modernizing the operation Guernsey Quarry has been in operation since 1945, but Martin Marietta didn't acquire it until June of 2009. "This plant has been here for a long time," Kuball explains. "It's a good little plant, but she needs some upgrades. We're in the process of modernizing it, but it takes a while to get everything updated." "We didn't put in any automation Recognition Recognition Recognition in the Recognition Recognition Recognition Recognition Recognition Recognition Rockies Since Martin Marietta acquired Guernsey Quarry in 2009, quarry employees have turned it into something to be proud of, blazing the trail for recognition and honors.