External Mining Permit 92-10 Request to deny the permit application for expansion of the Wake Stone Quarry

Johnson, Robert E
Michaell Regain, Secretary DEQ,
1I aim wilting to stroinglly urge that the Division of Eineirgy, Miinei4l and IL.eind Resources deiny
the Ipeirmit appfication Iby Welke Stone Corporation to expaind fits open pit rniinlling operation
�linto the forested Odd FeElow Tract lirrmedlietelly adjacent to Uirnstead State Park, ON Reed
Cireelk Road and Gireeinway, and iresideintGell Ipropeirty. It seeims obvious that this Ipeirmit shoUld
�be deinied for rinuftiple reasons, Iiincilu6ing Ibut inot Illmited to the f6lilowiiing:
1) Expansion of the open pit quarry WH cileady iresullt llin sig16lficaint einviiroinimeintall destruction.
It WEI 61kiminate Mldfife habitat (iincilu6ing (possible BaN C=eglle Ihelbitet, as eaglles are frequentily
observed at IL.elke Crabtree), and poses substainfiall rislks to groundwater resources due to
groundwater Ipuirrtping duir9ling pit excavation; and to surface water quafity (Crabtree Cireelk)
due to iruinoff from deforested Ilainds and from quarry operations.
2) Quarry operations WH resuft llin the generation of dust/pairticUlates that WH adveirselly affect
resident4l Ipropeirties, Urnstead Park, the Gireeinway, and irecreetGoinell users of these
resources.
3) The proximity of the proposed quarry to iresideint4l Ipropeirty constitutes a Iplhysicall Ihazaird
due to inoise, dust, and flyiroclk.
4) The proposed quarry WH have a siginfficaint adverse effect oin the quallkty of irecreetGoinell
user experience at the IpuIbNGcVy owined Urnstead Park and Gireeinway.
The Odd FeElows Tract has a Iloing history of recreafioinall use Iby the Ipublic, Iiincilu6ing the 1Boy
Scouts of America. 1I Ipeirsoinelllly camped theire With Troop 39 (Clhapell KEI) llin the Mate '60s. A
quarry WEI iresullt llin the Ipeirmaineint destruction of this unique Ileindscelpe and 61kiminate fits
future use Iby the Ipublic, s6lelly for the fiinainc4l einiriichiment of a Ipriivete company. There is ino
shortage of giravell quarries llin ceint4l NC; therefore, expansion of Welke Stone's operation

does inot justify ellhlmiinatioin of t1his recreation iresouirce that Ibeinefits Ilairge inumbeirs of citizens,
and the Ibuffeir it Iprovlides to Umstead State Park, the it widelly used state Ipairk llin NC
Thank you,
Mairk Westray
112 Donna Flare
Cary, NC 27513
Mairk Westray
mwestray2'7513@gimal!Lcoim
112 Donna Flare
Cary, North Cairofina 27513