The Department of Environmental Protection has issued a surface mining permit to Gibraltar Rock Inc. of Fairless Hills, PA, authorizing the company to operate a 241-acre rock quarry in New Hanover Township, Montgomery County. No mining will begin until local zoning issues are resolved.
“The department conducted meetings with the township, local groups and residents to make sure the concerns of people living in the area were addressed in the permit,” DEP Deputy Secretary for Mineral Resources Management J. Scott Roberts said. “This permit contains provisions to address wetland and stream protection, the effects of surface mining on local water supplies, noise and air quality.”
DEP’s Pottsville District Mining Office issued the permit to Gibraltar Rock Inc. to extract argillite and hornfels, which are a hard sandstone and siltstone used as an aggregate in concrete as well as for road and construction bedding.
Mining will take place on 60.9 acres of the site in two separate pits that ultimately could reach 375 feet deep and 485 feet deep, respectively, providing that the department grants incremental approvals over the years. The remaining land will be used for support activities and a proposed aggregate and/or asphalt plant.
The permit requires a 100-foot buffer around these resources where mining is prohibited. A series of shallow and deep groundwater monitoring wells will be drilled at five locations to test water levels monthly and ensure the integrity of the wetlands. The company also must make annual evaluations to ensure the natural functions of the wetlands are protected. If results indicate degradation or pollution, the department can halt mining or require a modification of the mining plan.
The permit also includes a stronger water replacement provisions than required by state regulation. The company guarantees it will replace any water supply that is degraded in quantity or quality within 1,500 feet of the permit boundary at its sole cost without the property owner being required to demonstrate that the permittee’s mining activities adversely affected the water supply. Typically, a DEP water investigation is required to mandate replacement, if the department finds the mining company is responsible for the water loss. This provision does not apply in cases where water loss is caused by a mechanical or electrical failure of the property owner’s pump.
To lessen the noise impact on the surrounding area, the quarry will construct berms and plant vegetation to reduce off-site sound during operations.
The company must still resolve local zoning issues before mining can begin, and must also secure an Air Quality Plan Approval before constructing the proposed on-site plant.
Final reclamation of the site will involve sloping the highwalls to remove dangerous embankments and using the reclaimed pits as fresh-water impoundments.