Last Thursday, the multipurpose room at West Yadkin Elementary School was nearly full, and residents of the Hamptonville area were concerned about a potential aggregate mine on about 500 acres of land near the school.
HAMPTONVILLE — Hundreds of Hamptonville residents gathered at West Yadkin Elementary School last week to hold a community meeting on a proposed mining project on approximately 500 acres of land in the region. In early March, a nearby real estate owner received a letter from the Three Oaks Quarry detailing the proposed concept of an aggregate mine for the property.
Residents’ interest has increased since the unexplained in-site exploration began last year. According to a report from NC Policy Watch, Jack Mitchell, president of Synergy Materials, said drilling is part of the due diligence process to determine the highest and best use of land.
In a recent letter to residents, Mitchell and Turnkey Processing Solutions, the president of the Three Oaks Quarry and a company that develops real estate that produces aggregate, an important element of construction such as roads and buildings. He said he was cooperating.
The first speculation from neighbors was that hydraulic fracturing or lithium mining could be the reason the developers were interested in the property. However, the proposed aggregate mine has not alleviated community concerns.
Environmental problems, asset value and increased traffic in the region are just some of the concerns of the population. Perhaps one of the biggest concerns is that the proposed mine is close to West Yadkin Elementary School.
Among the panels that answered questions at last Thursday’s meeting were members of the Yadkin Board of Education, Tim Weatherman, Tim Parks, and Sharon Ale. The panel was also attended by Todd Martin, director of Yadkin County School.
“It’s my job to defend the children of this school and other schools in this county. Personally, knowing that the mine is right behind this school and very close to 460 I’m very worried. The students and about 60 staff working here every day, “Martin said. “I’m worried about blasting. It’s said that blasting is minimal, but I’m still worried.”
“I don’t think it’s best for students, but in the end,” Martin applauded the attendees.
Also among the panelists on Thursday was Edgar Miller, who represents the Yadkin Riverkeeper organization. Miller said spills and deposits into Deep Creek could be potential concerns.
He said he didn’t have information about the proposed mine yet and couldn’t answer the question 100% reliably, but Miller said the potential impact on Deep Creek could cause problems. Said. He added that the tributaries of the Yadkin River are already considered “damaged” by the country.
“These types of facilities can affect surface water drainage and groundwater levels, which can exacerbate the problem of deep creek sediments unless they are all included in some way. It is expected that the deep creek is already quite muddy, “Miller said.
Other members of the community group against the proposed mine, who have been studying the mining industry and have contacted state authorities about the project in recent months, also answered the question.
There were no representatives of the Three Oaks Quarry at the meeting, but the company will hold its own briefing at the Yadkin Agriculturaland Educational Building at 4432 Old US421 in Yadkinville, Wednesday, March 23, from 9 am to 7 pm. ..
The properties of Hampton Building are currently classified as Rural Agriculture (RA). A rezoning request to the manufacturing industry (MI-2) has been submitted to the Yadkin Planning Committee. The mayor, Lisa Hughes, explained that it would take 60 days for the planning committee to confirm and respond to the request. The next Yadkin County Planning Committee will be on April 11th.
