utah - SaveParleys.org

Scenic Value

quinnbell — Tue, 23 Jan 2024 15:55:13 +0000

The size and scope of the proposed I-80 South Quarry would be the largest mining operation in the Central Wasatch Mountains.
The estimated operational life of this new gravel pit is ~100 years.
The Harper/Kilgore Quarry, the existing gravel pit in Parleys Canyon, currently operates on 11 acres but over its 125 year history has disturbed 67 acres. This is only ~10% the size of the proposed I-80 South Quarry (634 acres).
Rio Tinto’s Bingham Copper Mine, visible from the Salt Lake Valley (as well as from space), has expanded to 1,900 acres over the past 115 years. The proposed 635 acre I-80 South Quarry would initially be one-third that size.
If the initial project is allowed to proceed, the value of all adjacent parcels is effectively ruined for anything except more excavation. The total potential affected acreage is ~2000 acres- equal in size to the Bingham Canyon Copper Mine.

The post Scenic Value first appeared on SaveParleys.org.

quinnbell — Tue, 23 Jan 2024 15:48:38 +0000

Fugitive dust from the proposed gravel pit is not only a threat to our air quality but also to our increasingly scarce water supply.
Parleys Canyon is a protected watershed for the Salt Lake Valley and includes Parleys Creek, Mountain Dell Reservoir, and East Canyon Reservoir. The dust from the quarry would create a major new source of pollution for Salt Lake City’s drinking water as it falls into the lakes and streams in the canyon. It would also fall on and darken the surface of the snow, accelerating runoff in the spring and leaving less water to flow into the reservoirs through the hotter summer months.
The proposed gravel pit would also use enormous quantities of water for rock-crushing operations and in an attempt to suppress fugitive dust. This would not only divert water from reaching the Great Salt Lake, but it would risk also contaminating stormwater that flows into Parleys Creek.
The quarry would also be a source of major downstream industrial pollution contaminating Parleys Creek, Parleys Historic Nature Park, Tanner Park, the Salt Lake County Club, Sugarhouse Park, Hidden Hollow, Fairmont Park, Three Creeks Confluence Park, the Jordan River, and the Great Salt Lake.

quinnbell — Tue, 23 Jan 2024 15:44:41 +0000

Gravel pits are harmful to air quality due to the high volume of fugitive dust they emit.
The proposed Parleys Canyon gravel pit would create an estimated 220 million pounds of mine and processing waste over its life expectancy of about 100 years.
This dust carries toxins such as crystalline silica, which is a carcinogen known to damage lung tissue and function and is a Group 1 carcinogen.
Despite the gravel pit operator’s best efforts, persistent canyon winds make suppressing fugitive dust nearly impossible.
The current Harper/Kilgore gravel pit in Parleys Canyon, operating on just 11 acres, has a dismal track record for air quality and causing fugitive dust.
Utah has very weak fugitive dust regulations and the Division of Air Quality lacks the authority or staff capacity for effective enforcement.

The post Air Quality first appeared on SaveParleys.org.