Two controversial applications to mine gravel in the vicinity of Big Creek near Victor Crossing will remain in extended review for another month, according to the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) which is conducting a review of the applications. The two permit applications, one by Wade Moudy and the other by Todd Townsend, both received a notice of a 60-day extension in the process last December 21 after the agency received a large amount of public comment that was opposed to the mines and decided more information was needed before the projects could be approved. This extension provides an additional 30 days for the review. As a result, the DEQ will issue a Deficiency Notice on the application by March 18, 2018.
The issues that DEQ identified based on public comment included several items requiring more information concerning the plans.
One issue noted was that the proposed plan does not adequately prove protection of the quality and quantity of the shallow ground water resources that local residents use for drinking water and domestic needs.
It was also found that the proposed plan does not adequately convey the interrelation of the pit hydrology to the neighboring Big Creek watershed and that it does not adequately address maintaining the conveyance of irrigation water through ditches contained within the site or the interrelation of pit hydrology with the ditches.
DEQ also noted that cultural resources have been identified as potentially being impacted through public comment, by the State Historic Preservation Office, and by the DEQ archeologist. Another issue that needs to be addressed is that the proposed plan does not make adequate provision for noise impacts on nearby residential areas.