McLUCAS & ASSOCIATES, INC. CONSULTING GEOLOGIST INDUSTRIAL MINERALS AND AGGREGATE SPECIALISTS

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1 McLUCAS & ASSOCIATES, INC. CONSULTING GEOLOGIST INDUSTRIAL MINERALS AND AGGREGATE SPECIALISTS IT S ALL ABOUT THE ROCK PERMITS MARKET AREA P.O. Box 5352, LACEY, WA * (360) * FAX (360) * mclucastaylor@qwestoffice.net MEMORANDUM TO: Sharon Rice, Hearing Examiner FROM: Stephen Taylor, McLucas & Associates, Inc. DATE; September 28, 2017 RE: Response to public comments and testimony; response to Skamania County s Memorandum to Hearing Examiner, dated September 26, McLucas has reviewed the comments submitted orally and in writing at the September 18, 2017, Public Hearing on Washougal Basalt Rock Quarry s request to amend the current Conditional Use (CU-06-02). McLucas has also reviewed Skamania County s Memorandum to the Hearing Examiner, dated September 26, McLucas has also re-reviewed the Skamania county Staff Report and Recommendations to the Hearing Examiner prior to the Public Hearing on September 18, McLucas & Associates offers the following comments for review and consideration: (A) Skamania County has reversed their decision to allow crushing of 10,000 tons of rock spoils per year. Skamania County position states that the crushing is allowable with Skamania County Codes, but the noise impact with surrounding neighbors, via their comments have convinced them to disallow the crushing. The following will state our case on why crushing of rock is important, and adds to the environmental state of the site: WBRQ is asking only 10 days out of the year to perform the crushing with proper notice to residents and Skamania County Planning. The crushed rock is essential for the maintenance of the interior road system and Elisabeth Way. Without the crushed rock, these roads become very dangerous. Currently, WBRQ is purchasing the rock for this task. Final Reclamation is to return the site back to its natural state. WBRQ will be left with piles of reject rock, scattered throughout the quarry. The site will be Environmentally Scarred, and WBRQ will not be able to cover the spoils with topsoil and replant for natural forest reclamation (See Attached Photos). 1

2 WBRQ has removed the sawing of stone from the site with MSHA recommendations. This task is being conducted in a safe enclosed area. With this move of the sawing from the quarry, WBRQ has reduced the daily noise of the sawing, which generates 27 dba s daily, measured at the Glenn River residences. It is McLucas opinion that allowing the crushing of 10,000 tons of spoils a year, within 10 days is a small trade-off for road safety and reclamation. (B) Skamania County is recommending the expansion of the 3-acre processing area with the Amended Conditional Use Permit CUP McLucas agrees with this recommendation for the following reasons: The 3-acre processing area is very valuable to the ongoing processing of quarry rock, in that it provides a safe, level area for the stockpiling and processing of the rock products. It also allows for trucks to be loaded and unloaded. If the expansion is not approved, the processing would be moved back into the permitted 13.5 acre area. This area is very small, and inherently dangerous for the worker and truck drivers. If the processing area is moved back into the permitted area, the rock processing sounds will travel further, since the old processing area is 150 higher in elevation. (C) Quarry Boundary Fencing Page 5 of the Skamania County Memorandum, states Staff can support an alternative condition that would maintain the integrity of this boundary. WBRQ recommends that Skamania County and WBRQ management meet at the site to accomplish a plan for the Fencing where it is viably safe for workers to install and meets Skamania County property boundary integrity. (D) Noise McLucas has reviewed the public comments submitted to the Hearing Examiner at the Public Hearing, September 18, 2017, as well as, Skamania County s Memorandum dated September 26, 2017, page 4, Noise. McLucas offers the following information for your review: As an ongoing attempt to reduce Noise from the quarry processing area, WBRQ has built a berm, and has placed two 20 containers, (used for storage) which impacts the processing noise by 3 to 4 dba s daily. Having the processing area at the lower elevation, instead at the old processing area (150 elevation higher), restricts noise traveling further distances. The elimination of sawing at the processing area (27 dba s daily reduction) is WBRQ continued attempt at reducing Noise for the surrounding neighbors. 2

3 The 10 days, 10,000 ton crushing will generate between 37 to 41 dba s at the River Glenn Development from 7:30 A.M. to 5 P.M. for the 10 days. To assist in the Noise abatement, WBRQ will crush during the rainy seasons. This way WBRQ will use the rain to keep the dust down, and the rain will also abate some of the noise. In Summary, WBRQ has been good miners in that they have complied to all Federal, State, and County Regulations, except for moving the processing to a safe, level ground, which was done by previous owner, A&B Rock Distributors. WBRQ has built berms, and installed containers at the processing area to assist in noise reduction for their neighbors. When MSHA asked for a safe place for the sawing, WBRQ did not relocate to a nearby area, but elected to move the sawing from the quarry, saving a daily noise level of 27 dba for the neighbors. In return, WBRQ is not asking to add crushing full time at the Quarry, but is only asking for 10 days per year. This would provide safety of interior roads, and allow WBRQ to remove the excess rocks from the quarry, so a more environmentally, conducive final reclamation can be constructed. In McLucas 30 years of experience, with over 200 mines in Washington and Oregon, many of which are quarries, the quarries crushed rock for interior roads, and for local sales. It is McLucas opinion that this should have been part of the permit application, and should be granted with the Amended Conditional Use Application. McLucas appreciates your consideration of this Memorandum, and looks forward to your decision. Sincerely, Stephen Taylor Stephen Taylor Vice President C.C. Skamania County Planning WBRQ Management 3

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