Plan for Lexington County quarry taking shape
Stone mining at a proposed quarry on the west edge of Lexington County will occupy nearly a quarter of the 553-acre site, Vulcan Materials officials said Monday.
The outline came as company officials prepare for a showdown next month with nearby residents opposing a $40 million project slated to open in 2018.
“We appreciate the feedback we’ve received from the community,” company vice president Elliott Botzis said. “We’ve worked together to understand each others’ needs.”
Vulcan is seeking to open the quarry on a site midway between Batesburg-Leesville and Gilbert, saying it will be an eventual replacement for its 125-year-old mine in the Olympia area near Columbia.
It will produce crushed stone used mainly in concrete and asphalt for residential and commercial development, company officials say.
County officials increased buffer requirements and rerouted trucks to U.S. 1 to reduce noise and dust for nearby residents in the rural area.
Nearly 200 acres on the site will serve as landscaping that screens the 131-acre mine, Vulcan officials estimate.
State environmental officials are reviewing the company’s plan after a series of reports saying the quarry can operate without being a nuisance.
Vulcan plans to turn the quarry into a small lake after mining ends in several years, according to its proposal.
Tim Flach: 803-771-8483
Learn more
State environmental officials will hold meetings on the quarry at Batesburg-Leesville Middle School, 425 Shealy Road:
▪ A question-and-answer session at 6 p.m. Aug. 8.
▪ A public hearing to listen to community comment at 6 p.m. Aug. 23.
Vulcan Materials has a website – www.LexingtonQuarry.com – and will answer questions by phone at (803) 306-6935. Opponents organized as the Ridge Protection Coalition use social media.
This story was originally published July 18, 2016 at 5:17 PM.