SALT LAKE CITY — Scott Williams is one of the nearly 27,000 Utah residents who signed a petition in opposition to Granite Construction’s proposal to build a mine in Parleys Canyon.
“I've lived here most of my life and I just love this place," he said. "I love that because we are so lucky to have the natural assets, that we have the mountains, the desert, and I think a lot of people feel that way, and I think when people see other people getting involved, then they want to get involved.”
During a public hearing Thursday at the Department of Environmental Quality's Division of Air Quality, dozens of residents and activists rallied against the proposed mine. Environmentalists, like Dr. Brian Moench, Board President of Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, said the canyon winds would carry constant dust down into the Salt Lake Valley if a mine was built.
“If Utah's state government cannot protect even our most important natural assets if public health protection exists only at the mercy of industrial lobbyists, then we will have become the poster child of a failed government," he said.
The mine would be built off the Ranch Exit on I-80, the worst possible place to put a mine, said Williams.
“Utah is literally full of limestone," he said. "When Lake Bonneville receded, it left limestone all over northern Utah, so there are lots of places we can get it."
FOX 13 News reached out to Granite Construction; in response to the rally, Erin Kuhlman, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer sent the following statement:
Granite is dedicated to developing the I-80 South Quarry in a responsible, legally compliant manner. The calculations and air modeling for the project were prepared in full compliance with the law, and great detail and care went into their preparation. The process included review and comment by a number of science and engineering experts. The South Quarry modeling results evidence that the facility is unlikely to approach the maximum allowable thresholds for PM2.5 and PM10. In short, Granite is sensitive to our neighbors’ concerns, and Granite intends to adhere to strict environmental controls on the site, including using only Tier 4 diesel engines (the cleanest available).
Granite has fully complied with the legal permitting process and is pleased that UDAQ provided ample opportunity for public comment. Utah has been the fastest growing state in the nation over the last decade and requires significant aggregate resources to meet the needs of the fast-growing Salt Lake area. This project will ensure these necessary products are both accessible and affordable as the area continues to develop. The convenient location will also reduce the number of trucks on the roads and thereby limit their impact to our air and infrastructure.
During this permitting process, significant misinformation about the impacts of the development and operation of the quarry have been disseminated. The truth is that this site will provide the people of Salt Lake City with a safe, clean, and responsible quarry operation. Granite has been a part of the local community for decades. Our employees live here also, and we are committed to operating the quarry with integrity, excellence, and a focus on environmental stewardship. People can learn more about the project at the website parleyssq.com.
The public comment period for the proposed mine ends on July 27.
