Planning Commission questions Vulcan Quarry expansion, defers decision

The Stafford County Planning Commission has deferred until July a decision to approve the expansion in the Vulcan Quarry in North Stafford.

The Planning Commission held a public hearing Wednesday about Vulcan Stafford Quarry’s intentions to not only expand operations at its North Stafford facility, off Route 610, in an area between the east and west pits of the quarry but to also build a new concrete manufacturing plant.

The overall project includes a request to rezone 23 acres land of, moving it from agricultural use to heavy industrial use while amending proffers on 558 acres that are already zoned as heavy industrial.

Vulcan is also asking for a special use permit for its proposed concrete plant. The new concrete plant would replace an existing plant about seven miles away on Wyche Road, near a newly constructed interchange at Interstate 95 and Courthouse Road.

Neighbors who live in the Eastern View neighborhood, next to the mining operation, which began in 1976,  expressed opposition to the expansion citing air quality and dust issues, increased noise, and increased truck traffic.

They said their homes have stained damage from vibrations due to blasting at the quarry.

Should the rezoning be approved and new proffers added, the life of the quarry would be extended from its original closure date of 2085, up to 2135. Stafford County Planning Commission Vice-Chairman Barton Randall expressed concern that the extension could interfere with plans the county had to turn the rock pits into a water reservoir for the growing county.

During Wednesday’s public hearing, Vulcan attorney Clark Leming, who is also one of multiple property owners who sold his land to Vulcan in order for the quarry to expand, disputed claims that vibrations from blasting damaged nearby residents’ homes. He cited seismograph and monitor readings taken by Deep Earth Logic and Swedish consulting firm Polysonic, both hired by the quarry to measure the power of the blasts.

However, members of the committee weren’t satisfied with the reports since they were not yet completed.

There were calls from many in attendance including Hartwood District Representative Darrell English to set monitors in residents’ homes to measure the strength of vibrations, towards the end of the meeting the commission had received one volunteer via email.

Due to the previous sessions, many updates were made to Vulcan’s application ranging from operation hours, security fencing, air quality issues, truck traffic, maintenance of buffer and berms, among the 23 new additions to the application.

The Planning Commission will revisit the Vulcan expansion application at their meeting on Wednesday, July 28.