Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/85652
All processing water at Lacey's Spring Quarry goes through a series of settling ponds before being returned to the fresh water pond for reuse. WASTE NOT, WANT NOT Water– I n some areas of the country, water is plenti- ful. In other areas, it is a hot commodity. In all areas of the country, however, it should be handled respectfully and in a way that will not pollute the surrounding environment. Rogers Group Inc. kept this in mind when it began con- struction of its Morgan County, Ala.-based Lacey's Spring Quarry in 2006. The company incorporated several environmentally friendly initiatives during and after construction that have made it possible for the quarry to not only meet, but exceed water- management expectations and requirements. The first thing Rogers Group did was build a perimeter berm around the property. "The berm goes around the entire permitted mined property, which includes the scalehouse, the processing plant, all of the pit, and stripping area — every- where we're doing any operations or moving dirt or moving anything of any size," says Derek Rob- erts, area vice president, North Alabama, Rogers Group Inc. "We built it for several reasons. One reason was just to make sure no water left the property that didn't need to leave the property. We're also close to the Tennessee River, so in case the river flooded, the berm would protect us from the 100-year-floodwater elevation. Also, we built it as a buffer between us and our neighbors on the outside." The berm was seeded and has become part of the landscaping at the quarry, but it serves an important purpose. It fully ensures that any water used within the plant stays within the plant, and that all water is recycled and reused. "Our site is self-sufficient when it comes to water," Roberts says, "our water doesn't come from the Tennessee River or other external sources. It is mainly rainwa- ter and stormwater, which collects in the pit. We have a sump, which is at the lowest level in the pit where water collects, that pumps the water up to our processing plant. From there, it goes through Lacey's Spring Quarry incorporates environmentally friendly water management practices. by Kerry Clines, Senior Editor WATER MANAGEMENT 33 SUSTAINABILITY