East Fork of the Lewis River
In addition to the everyday impact of quarry operations on people in the community, there is great concern about the impact of current and expanded quarry activities on the environment of the East Fork Lewis River and of significant landslide risk.
Noise
The EFCC recommends that:
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1. Regular monitoring at a variety of randomized sample sites for communities within listening distance of the quarry by a licensed acoustic consultant is required to ensure public safety standards related to noise are met by the quarry.
Landslide
The EFCC recommends that:
1. At a minimum, the issues raised by Dr. Joseph Wartman should be carefully addressed. He is a Professor, University of Washington, Civil Environmental Engineering and Director of Natural Hazard Reconnaissance Facility.
SEPA
Do not accept a Determination of Non-Significance (DNS) or mitigated DNS.
The EFCC recommends that:
1. A full EIS is required of the applicant.
2. Treatment of the following Environmental Checklist categories must include a minimum of Earth, Air, Water, Environmental Health, and Noise impacts.
3. Any Conditional Use Permit be subject to a specific operating period with a sunset clause to review whether additional conditions may be warranted.
Dust
The EFCC recommends that:
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1. Periodic, third party testing of the YMQ product and of the overburden be required to protect the YMQ employees, neighbors and the general community.
2. All trucks carrying products from the quarry must be tarped. Trucks without loads should be free of dust as well or tarped.
3. A program to ensure that trucks entering and leaving the quarry are clean and are not carrying dust on parts of the trucks and trailers.
4. Available methods such as blast blankets and wet suppression be required for all blasting in the quarry.
5. Best practices utilizing the minimum amount of explosives possible when blasting.
6. An enclosure for containing dust from the crusher(s) be required.
7. Periodic third-party testing of samples from areas being mined to determine if dangerous minerals are present.
8. Strict enforcement of requirements that the stored overburden be covered or otherwise protected from being blown into the atmosphere.
9. Any rail transportation or rail transfer station, now or in the future, must mitigate gravel, dust or fines release.
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Truck and Roadways
TRUCKS, ROADWAYS, and RAILWAYS
A long list of Recommendations follows:
Trucking that supports the operation of the Yacolt Mountain Quarry (YMQ) is an issue with several concerns.
Surface & Groundwater Pollution
EFCC recommends that:
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Waste management for the operation meets all state regulations.
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A routine water quality assessment be required in the radius of the operation.
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Planning and execution for prevention (especially) and remediation of contaminants in water sources is required.
Light Pollution
The EFCC recommends that:
1. Either lights are off at night or outside operating hours, or they are modified to direct their output downward into the quarry with no output outward or upward into the sky.