HomeMy WebLinkAboutFW_ _External_ _Mining Permit 92-10_ My concerns regarding Wake Stone's permitJohnson, Robert E
From: Sams, Dan
Sent: Friday, July 17, 2020 1:32 PM
To: NCMiningProgram
Subject: FW: [External] [Mining Permit 92-10] My concerns regarding Wake Stone's permit
From: Henry Harvey [mailto:info@sg.actionnetwork.org]
Sent: Friday, July 17, 2020 12:15 PM
To: Sams, Dan <dan.sams@ncdenr.gov>
Subject: [External] [Mining Permit 92-10] My concerns regarding Wake Stone's permit
l wish to express my concerns about the proposed expansion of Wake
Stone's Tidaii Quarry operations Iboirdeirliing Uimstead State Park. l aim
opposed to the present operation and any expansion thereof, IprimairHy at
this fime for the following reasons:
1. PairticUlate air Ipolllution
2. IL.aclk of airchae6logllcall assessments
3. IL.lilke rubbing salt llin socioeconomic einviroinimeii llinjustice wounds of
Afdcain Ameidcaii Reedy Greek Iheirlitage
1. Air Pollution from Wake Stone Operations & Health
Despite Ilainguage llin past Ipeirrnitting documents iregairdlling the control) of
fline particle air Ipolllution from the miii and traii operations ("The
�probleim of dust formerly common to quarry operations has Ibeein totally
overcome Iby spraylling moviing stoine with water"), l have irepeatedlly
observed clouds of dust generated Iby trucks trav6llling the Wake Stone
access road and Harrison Avenue Iby the Tiriaii Quarry eintraince. Over
the last year or so, the access road has Ibeein more frequently ((but inot
aWays) wetted to reduce dust, (but the stoine and stoine dust lladein trucks
are apparently inot adequatelly wetted and at tunes I've seen clouds of dust
1
issue from the trucks from whein they turn onto Hairirisoin Avenue. And that
section of the road and vehicles are the oii parts of the huge quarry
operation that most Park visitoirs see. The Walke Stone operation, which l
have inot visited, wound show ad6fioii dust cointallinirneint issues.
One can view a YouTube showing the dust generated Iby a (blast at a Walke
Stone quarry Iheire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwFFD7mGhzq
It is inot credble to assume that aM this dust stops at the quarry boundary.
PairticUlate Ipollllutioin uindoubtedlly dii from the Walke Stone site llinto the
Park. Particle levels llin the Park depend on quarry operations, wind speed
and wind 6rection, airnoing other factors. 1But without air qualkty rinoii
within the Park, oine can oii speculate as to levels of the Quarry's
airborne Iparticullates within the Park.
What does the "dust" coii Respirable crystalkkine sflkca is oine common
byproduct of quarry operations and is a Ikinowin to cause Ruing cairciii
sflkicosis, COPD, and Ikidiney disease accor61ng to OSHA. So the Tidaii
Quarry operation is generating Ikinowin toxic dust which then drifts llinto the
Park wheire rinainy people are vigorously exercising (iruinii Ibriislk waflking,
(Milking the NIlIkly teiri4lii bilking). Heavy exercise llincludes Ibreatlhliing deeply
�linto the Iluings, and the daingeirs of liinlhallliin ; fline Ipairticles (PM2.5) are welkl
Ikinowin. The U.S. Einviroinirineii Protection Agency (EPA) issues guidaince
to avoid exercising or even avoid speii time outside during high
pairticUlate Ipolllutloin Ipeir9iods (e.g., EPA MrNow). 1But without cointiii
operating air qualkty rinoii llin the Park, the dose of quarry generated
pairticUlate exposure to Park users is unknown. l don't tNlinlk from a health
standpoint that it's reasonable to move forward on issuiling a Ipeirmit uii
the air p6lilutaint levels within Uirnstead from Ipreseint quarry operations are
�betteir understood.
2. Need for Archaeological Assessments
l have seen ino reports of airchaeobgllcall assessments of the proposed
quarry expansion. l Ikinow that theire is a smalkl Ilalke off the Ibeatein Ipatlh and
i Crabtree Creelk that Mkl Ibe destroyed Iby the (project and aim
concerned that Nistoiricall and airchaeologicall settlements existing liin or
around that Ilalke Mkl Ibe lost.
3. Salt liin the Wounds of Past Einviiroinirneintall Socioeconomic Injustices?
Urnstead State Park and some Ilaind formerly Ibelloinglling to the Park that is
inow Ipairt of the (proposed quarry expainsion, was oince segregated liinto two
separate Ipairks for use Iby whites and Nacks; the Iblaclk section ("Reedy
Greek State Park") Ibeliing the southern Ipairt Iboirdeirriing what inow is the
Walke Stone quarry. Possibly as a result of diseinfrainchiseirneint of Iblaclks
hiving oin the Reedy Creelk State Park side at the time, Ipairt of that Park
was transferred to the RDUAA liin 1958. It wasin't for another decade w1hein
the Ibllaclk and wNlte Ipairks were uinllted as Urnstead State Park as we Ikinow
it today. 1But, consistent with siting undesirable Bindustrial operations inear
more socioecoinomicaEly deprived commu6ifies of the day, Walke Stone's
quarry was approved 15 years later oin a site adjoining t1his formerly Iblaclk
segregated Ipairk, just 400 yards from the IpopWair Ipicnlic and tral!lIlhead
areas. Today, as we as a society are still strugglhling to understand
einviiroinirneintall socioecoinomic liinjustices, fuirtlheir expainsion of the quarry liin
t1his culturally and IhlistorlicalHy sig16lficaint area seems a fuirtlheir liinsullt to the
Afrrlcain Ameirrlcain commu16lty's Iheirritage.
Thank you for your coin sid eiration of my concerns.
Heiniry Harvey
pinellasCaD_protonmail.com
103 Cuini6linglhaim Ct
Cary, North Cairohina 27511
3