External Mining Permit 92-10 The public deserves our public lands to be protected - deny rock mine (8)

Johnson, Robert E
Michaell Regain, Secretary DEQ,
To the DEQ:
COVIID 19 has imade even imore evident the vallue of IlocaIl gireeinspace and tralOs for the
rneintall and Iplhysicall Ihealltlh of our citizens. 1I have Illived liin this area for over 20 years and have
spent time aIlmost every week liin Urnstead Park and oin the surrouin6ing connected gireeinways
and tralOs. It is cVeair that inow imore thain ever, IlocaIl citizens are Vlkly ufifizlling Urnstead to NlIke,
�bilke, and speind time with their faimifies. There is abuindaint research that Ibotlh gireein space
and outdoor exercise is &Iticall for Ipeople's Ihealltlh and wellkl belling, and Urnstead State Park
and the surrouin6ing gireeinways and are a huge draw for Ipeople liin this area.
Ad6tioinallkly, it is cVeair that air travel) is oin the decHine, and Illilkelly MH Ibe for the foreseeable
future. RIDU MH inot ineed ad6fioinall funds to expaind, as expansion would Ibe a tremendous
economic disaster right inow. The Ipllain to destroy inatui4l habitat enjoyed Iby (people and
required Iby IlocaIl Mldllkfe is a shortsighted and completelly uninecessairy waste of a Iprecious
�locaIl resource.
1I request that DEQ deiny Welke Stone Corp's appfication for a inew iroclk amine (Permit 92 10)
due to the negative impacts oin Urnstead State Park, Crabtree Cireelk, the East Coast
Gireeinway, recreation lain the OM Reedy Creelk Corridor and the three adjacent homeowners.
The current Welke Stone quarry oin Harrison Ave lain Cary has aIliready caused IlocaIl Iprobleirns
for Urnstead State Park iresulltuing lain torn up roads, IpoHuted IlocaIl water, and in6lse. DEQ
shoUld restore the Sunset C()ause to the current Welke Stone quarry operations that were
promised to eind lain 2031, 50 years from 1981.

Recreation areas gireenways shoUld have a 250ft undisturbed Ibuffeir (6ld Reedy Cireelk Road)
to rna�lintallin the gireenway experience, with ino Ibeirms or waEls within that Ibutfer zone. Road
and in6lse IpoElution are Ibad for humans and Mldfife aIlflke. The Odd FeElows Tract has Ibeein
identified as a "Cir9lticallII-and Acquisition Tract" Iby NC State Parks for Urnstead State Park for
water quallkty protection and Ipoteint4l forested Ibilke tral10s. The 1Boy Scouts have camped,
(Milked, and (bilked on this Ipropeirty since 1958.
RDU Airport Autlhoir9lty was offered a fair Beall to conserve the Ipropeirty Iby the Conservation
Fund and shoUld reconsider that offer llin light of the Ipublic Ibeinefits it would Iprovlide, and llin
Might of the chainge llin economic circumstances liinv6llviing COVIID 19. This would Ibe a
disastrous time to expand the airport
There is Iprecious IkttVe uindevelloped gireen space Ilea llin the Tiriainglle area; it shoUld Ibe
treasured and protected rather than destroyed. Air Ipollllution from quarry imiinlling operations
can further inegativelly impact the visitoirs of Urnstead State Park Ipeir year for the inext 25+
years if a inew quarry is at work. Furthermore, this imay deter other economic devellopmeint llin
the area as (people choose inot to(hive inear this IpoElution and incise.
FiinaEly, a inew quarry at Odd FeElows Tract would seveir the one Ikinown Mldfife corridor
connecting RaIleiglh to the rest of the Eastern VVHdway that iruins from Canada to Florida
1I request that you (please Iput the citizens' and einviiroinirneintall weffaire ahead of a Ipoorlly
thought out and Ibadlly timed Ipllain to irullin a cruc4l and too rare tract of inatuir4ll wood�laind
Thank you, Rebecca IL.eirri
Rebecca IL.eirri
irebeccaelleim@ao�l.com
4978 Highcroft Drive
Cary, North Cairofina 27519