Proposed gravel changes spark debate at hearing

PALMER — At a short work session, the great gravel debate in front of the Mat-Su Borough Assembly got off to a sputtering start Tuesday.

The assembly began hearing testimony from staff and industry representatives about proposed changes to one of the borough’s largest industries when it became clear the 75 minutes allotted for the meeting would be far from enough time.

“I wasn’t surprised,” borough planner Emerson Kruger said. “It took the planning commission 22 hours and four meetings to get through all the issues.”

As written, the ordinance imposes a reclamation requirement on current and future gravel mines. Any section of an operation mine now derelict must meet criteria for slope remediation and erosion control. Any section where mining is under way must be covered by 8 inches of topsoil once mining stops. Any future section must meet the topsoil requirement plus have a performance security bond to ensure reclamation efforts will be enacted.

One of the amendments the planning commission recommended was to reduce the topsoil requirement from 8 to 4 inches. Assemblyman Pete Houston asked Kruger how effective this reduced requirement would be.

“The National Resources Conservation Service, based on soil requirements for the Mat-Su, estimated 8 inches of topsoil is required to sustain vegetation through the dry periods,” Kruger said.

Houston asked why the planning commission recommended a change. Kruger said this was one issue focused on by the industry. Gravel operation representatives said there are many places where there is not even 4 inches of topsoil to begin with, Kruger said, and importing topsoil is extremely expensive.

The staff and industry agree the new permitting process in the draft ordinance would provide adequate protection from mining below the water table. After the meeting, Kruger explained the intense studying and monitoring that must happen before and after a permit is issued. Tom Healy, the director of Alaska Rock Products Assoc., said the requirements are stringent, but necessary.

Despite the cooperative effort between the industry and borough staff, the planning commission recommended removing the permitting process for mining below the water table. This would mean no new operations could run dredging machines.

“I have worked on mining below the water table for a number of years. I believe the existing ordinance would be reasonably successful at protecting public health and wellness,” Kruger told the assembly.

Kruger explained how existing mines in operation under non-conforming use permits would not be in violation immediately after the new ordinance passes. The grandfathered operations would have 20 years or until the date indicated on their applications to submit a plan addressing how to amortize the mines into conformance.

One issue drawing the ire of officials from the three cities in the borough is the applicability of the ordinance inside city boundaries. Mark Ewing, the assemblyman representing the Wasilla district, asked Kruger why this was included in the ordinance. Kruger responded the borough will sometimes address land uses with “regional effects.”

It was clear the assembly had more questions for Kruger, but representatives from the gravel industry were under the impression they would have three members address the council for 10 minutes each. The assembly voted to allow public comment, but the comments were limited to three minutes per person.

Healy reminded the assembly the proposed ordinance will have profound impacts on all gravel mines in the Valley, big and small.

“Some of the operations can’t afford the cost. This will close industry in the borough,” Healy said.

After the meeting, Healy said he was concerned with the reclamation requirements, as well as requiring all existing operations to give the borough a surveyed site plan within a year of the ordinance passing. This could cost anywhere between $5,000 to $15,000, he said, and he questioned if the information couldn’t be reported in another way.

The borough has already contacted Healy about the industry representatives’ availability for future meetings, he said, and the dates should be announced Tuesday.

Contact Todd L. Disher at todd.disher@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.