20111013 Ver 2_Public Notice Comments_20130319

Strickland, Bev
From: Karoly, Cyndi
Sent: Tuesday, March 19, 2013 9:42 AM
To: Strickland, Bev
Subject: FW: Proposed Vanceboro Qarry permit Of Martin Marietta Materials (MMM)
From: John Rawlings [mailto:jrawlinas47 amail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, March 19, 2013 9:40 AM
To: Karoly, Cyndi
Subject: Proposed Vanceboro Qarry permit Of Martin Marietta Materials (MMM)
I am writing to express my opposition to the above permit application of MMM. Blounts Creek is a diverse
ecosystem that is home to a varied and diverse population of birds animals,crabs and both fresh and salt water
fish that exist because of the salinity of the Creek. It is the spawning ground for many saltwater fishes including
spotted trout, drum, and striped bass that visit these waters to lay there eggs in the protected head waters of the
Creek. It is visited by dolphins,pelicans, Cormorants,American Anhinga and many other species that feed on the
multitude of salt water fishes that make there way up the Creek to spawn.
The CZR memorandum on which MMM makes there case for the issuance of the mining permit is flawed in
many areas and reaches conclusions that are not supported by other independent studies. Some of there
conclusions are based on studies that do not apply to the nature of Blounts Creek. For example they state that
raising the PH of the Creek will be beneficial to the fish. They base this on a study done on a fast moving rocky
bottom creek in New Hampshire. Blounts Creek is a slow moving mud bottomed water moving through marsh
and has no resemblance to the case sited.
More important by there own admission the CZR study states that the PH of Blounts Creek will be raised from
4.0 -5.5 to 6.3 -6.9. This represents a tremendous change in PH level and will forever change the nature of
Blounts Creek The ecosystem as it exists today will be forever altered and the vast abundance of wildlife will
cease to exist. State law precludes changing the nature of an ecosystem, therefore MMM's statements that they
will raise the ph level of the swampy area that the water will first enter makes the proposedwater disposal
system illegal & the requested permits should be denied.
In addition the pumping of 12 million gallons of groundwater /day into the Creek is wasteful. There are other
options available but these are not being considered because they are more costly to MMM. That may be true
but what about the cost to our environment and ecology. Who will pay for that?
Sincerely,
John P. Rawlings
101 Water's Edge Drive
Chocowinity, NC 27817