20210525_NCDMF

ROY COOPER
Governor
MICHAEL S. REGAN
Secretary
JOHN G. BATHERSON
Acting Director
MEMORANDUM:
TO: Adam Parr, NCDEMLR Assistant State Mining Engineer
FROM: James Harrison, NCDMF Fisheries Resource Specialist
SUBJECT: Rogers Pit #2 Modification, Beaufort County
DATE: 25 May 2021
A North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) Fisheries Resource Specialist has
reviewed the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) mining permit
application for proposed actions that may impact fish and fish habitats. The proposed
work is located off of State Route 1203/Wootentown Road, within Beaufort County, North
Carolina. The applicant is proposing to expand sand and topsoil mining operations by an
additional 30 acres. Mining will be completed by excavator and truck. The expected
minimum depth of the mine will be 30' with 22' being the average mine depth. Mined
materials will be stockpiled and allowed to dry, then hauled away on market demand.
After completion of mining operations, the excavated body of water will be left as a pond.
DMF is currently unable to adequately and accurately assess the potential impacts that may
result from the proposed work due to a lack of information. First, the application does not
provide a specific timeframe for the mining operations, only indicating that the permit is
being requested for the life of the mining operations. Also, it was not clearly indicated what
will be done with material that is stockpiled. The location of the stockpile was not
provided on the imagery included in the application packet. There is also no indication of
what will be done with water removed from material during the drying process.
The lack of the above information is problematic because there is a tributary just south of
the mine that provides the mining site with a direct connection to Runyon Creek, which is
designated as Anadromous Fish Spawning Area (AFSA). Additionally, the mouth of the
tributary is in close proximity to where Runyon Creek meets a portion of the Pamlico River
that has been designated as Secondary Nursery Area (SNA). These areas provide critical
nursery, foraging, and spawning habitat for sensitive life history stages of various
recreationally, commercially, and environmentally important species. Runoff from
stockpiled materials can cause negative impacts to nearby waters, including (but not
limited to) adding contaminants, decreasing dissolved oxygen, altering flow patterns, and
altering salinity and pH. Many of the species that are present in these areas have specific
State of North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries
3441 Arendell Street I P.O. Box 769 Morehead City, North Carolina 28557
252-726-7021

water quality requirements; therefore, negative impacts to water quality have the potential
to significantly affect use of the waterway. In order to minimize the potential for these
impacts to occur, DMF would recommend that excavated material be stockpiled for drying
at a location that will minimize the likelihood of runoff reaching the tributary.
Thank you for consideration of our comments. Please contact Jimmy Harrison at (252)
948-3835 (office) or [phone] (mobile - preferred), or at
james.harrisonOncdenr.gov with any further questions or concerns.
State of North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries
3441 Arendell Street I P.O. Box 769 Morehead City, North Carolina 28557
252-726-7021