"A small victory on the latest Fred Hill Materials mining expansion"
 

Hi folks,

Well, we won a small victory on the latest Fred Hill Materials mining expansion.  The Washington Dept. of Transportation (DOT) previously required that a truck traffic survey and eventual intersection road improvements on SR 104 to increase safety for other drivers.  Left-turning trucks returning to Shine Pit block traffic headed toward Port Angeles.  Accelerating and merging trucks leaving Shine Pit can also be a hazard.

DOT required road widening by 2009 or when traffic flow reached a given level.  It also required an annual survey of traffic flow at the Shine Pit intersection.  This was a condition of approval for mining in the Wahl Lakes part of the MRL mining district.

Last year, FHM did not do the required survey and belatedly asked for a waiver since "we are not yet mining in the Wahl Lakes area."  In considering the 20-acre expansion, we pointed out that it does not matter where the gravel is mined and FHM publicly advertised that they have increased production.  We asked that the surveys be performed as a condition of approval.

On 9/28/06, Jefferson County issued a Mitigated Determination of Non-Significance that required FHM to comply with the DOT traffic survey and road improvements according to the conditions previously established by DOT.

A second condition, FHM is required to submit metering records on well water usage at Shine Pit.  Such reports have been required in the past but were never received by the Washington Department of Ecology (DOE).  There is a limit of 5000 gallons per day for the entire Shine Pit operation and FHM must now comply with the requirement to submit metering records.

Life is good.

John