Quarrying brings concerns wherever it turns up. Promises are made. People are let down.
In Northern Colorado, a concrete company is trying to convince residents of the merits of a new sand and gravel quarry that - just as with Straitgate - is proposed to be worked over some 10-12 years.
Residents are worried about dust, increased traffic, noise and water impacts from the 123-acre site
And they’re reluctant to believe project organizer Loveland Ready-Mix’s promises to mitigate those impacts because they say gravel operations have burned their community before.
“These plans will say, ‘We’re going to use berms and plant vegetation and do all these things,’” said Terry Waters, a Laporte resident who was involved with previous gravel pit opposition efforts. “And they don’t do it.”
At a public meeting, the company representative faced an uphill battle:
“All we can do is try to educate people,” she said. “We don't want to come in and ruin your life and your business. That's not what we're about.”
Residents were "unswayed":
They say they’ve heard those mitigation strategies before -- from Aggregate Industries, a company that mined gravel at the Stegner property just west of North Taft Hill Road about a half-mile south of US 287. Despite complaints from neighbors, the operator performed noisy work on weekends, flooded basements and produced a lot of dust without watering...
Aggregate “gave mining a bad name”...
