Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/91809
Province NEWS State & To keep up to date with this breakdown of news in the United States and Canada, visit www.AggMan.com for daily updates. by Therese Dunphy, Editor-in-Chief by Therese Dunphy, Editor-in-Chief ALASKA Th e City and Borough of Juneau heard an appeal of a proposed gravel pit and rock crusher in the Montana Creek area and is soon expected to make a decision on the case. According to the Juneau Empire, sev- eral homeowners fi led an appeal to overturn a planning commission decision to approve a rock crusher proposed for their neighborhood. Th eir att orney argued that the crusher was not compatible with the sur- rounding neighborhood, that local code would only allow it if it is used to crush rock for a public road, and that the crusher would be a primary part of the business. Th e deputy city att orney testifi ed on behalf of the planning commission, noting that "seven reasonable minds reviewed and deliberated on the evidence, they applied a reasonable interpreta- tion of the law to that evidence, and they reached a unanimous, well thought-out decision." Arizona California Cemex sent a lett er to the Fresno County Board of Supervi- sors asking that they reconsider signing off on the environ- mental review for its project near Jesse Morrow Mountain. Th e Fresno Bee reports that company spokesman Sara Engdahl indicated the report cost more than $1 million to prepare. In an e-mail, she noted that "Fresno County's fail- ure to certify the most comprehensive and expensive EIR (environmental impact report) in Fresno County history is legally incorrect and establishes a troubling precedent." Illinois In mid-September, someone entered Vulcan Material Co.'s Plainfi eld site and stole two copper welding leads with an estimated value of $555 each. Th e Plainfi eld Patch reports that a company truck was also damaged when someone at- tempted to pry off the handles to gain entry. ILLINOIS Beginning in January, a new policy will take effect in Maricopa County. The Arizona Republic reports that the county Board of Supervisors unanimously directed its staff to develop this policy, which is purported to make it easier for those seeking regulatory permits. The policy is expected to include more public hearings on proposed regulatory changes and to increase efforts to notify the public about meetings on "matters of interest." The changes will impact businesses seeking permits through the county's Flood Control District and the Air Quality, Environmental Services, Planning and Development, and Transporta- tion departments. CALIFORNIA At Aggregates Manager's press time, Cemex was about to commission a 1 megawatt wind turbine at its Madison Quarry in Yolo County. According to the company, local utility provider PG&E would present a $1.8 million savings check as part of the com- missioning ceremony. Expected to attend the event were Congressional candidate Kim Vann (R-Calif.); Karl Watson, Jr., president of Cemex USA; Luis Farias, Cemex's senior vice president of energy and sustainability; and Matthew Wilson, CEO of Foundation Windpower, which develops, fi nances, constructs, owns, and operates wind projects. 8 AGGREGATES MANAGER November 2012 A Spring Bay Village Board committee submitted a report that detailed ordinance violations, environmental issues, and suggested remedies at a former mine there. According to the Journal Star, that report could lead the board to approve a long-debated agreement which would allow Dwayne Atherton to purchase the property, reclaim the land, and mine adjacent property he and others own. Some of the violations included setback issues, as well as breaches of contract regarding fence lines, signs, and berm construction. A team from the Indiana Geological Survey is beginning the fi nal phase of a three-year study to assess the bedrock in western areas near the Brown County line and now wants to expand the project to include all of Bartholomew County. "In terms of geology, Bartholomew County is under- mapped," research scientist Walter Hasenmueller told Th e Republic. "We are talking with an indi- vidual who might come into the project to map the unconsolidated glacial sediments in eastern Bartholomew County and the river valley under Columbus." He added that the shale deposit in New Albany, which is 120- to 130-feet thick, is a possible source of petroleum. Indiana