Ryan Crater addressed the Yadkin Commissioner’s meeting on Monday in a packed room about concerns about drilling on 500 acres of Hamptonville land.
It was a packed house for a meeting of the Yadkin County Commission on Monday. Approximately 25 residents of the Hamptonville area attended the public comments section of the conference and talked about concerns about anomalous drilling on 500 acres of land in the area.
NC Policy Watch reported on the “mysterious excavation” last December that “the president of the company behind the project refuses to disclose what he is looking for and why.” ..
Jack Mitchell, president of Synergy Materials, told Policy Watch that the company is “due diligence to determine the highest and best use of land.” He didn’t elaborate on what those uses were.
The mayor, Lisa Hughes, said the property was owned by the Cheryl family and was for sale “for a very long time.” She said Synergy Materials paid for some new lots or layouts of the lot.
“That’s all the facts that everyone knows,” Hughes added.
Looking at the crowd on Monday, President Kevin Austin urged the Board to amend the usual rules of public comments that allow more than one speaker per subject.
The first to speak was Ryan Crater, whose assets are adjacent to potential mining sites.
Crater said there was a sense of urgency to “act on this” and issue county-wide ordinances for drilling.
“It’s time to act,” said Crater. “This has implications that go beyond real estate owners. It will affect Lake Hamptonville, it’s a completely different environmental issue.”
The accommodation is near West Yadkin Elementary School, and West Yadkin PE teacher Luke Story Speaker talked about concerns about the school and students.
“Some of the great concerns about potential mining operations, hydraulic fracturing operations, refinery plants, and processing plants will explode whatever it is. Explosion from mining operations, or just on the ground. What does the tremor do to our building in West Yadkin? As you all know, it’s not the latest building, “Storie said.
“Also, what does this do for the social and emotional well-being of our students?” The story asked. “Just today, we had an evacuation drill at West Yadkin Elementary School. We don’t want to see it every day just to see the faces of the children in the hallways.”
Storie also raised potential air quality issues related to mining sites.
Another Hampton Building resident, Ron Duncan, talked about potential water quality problems that could arise from mining in the area. Duncan said he wasn’t from Yadkin, but is proud to call the area his hometown, largely because of the pristine natural beauty of the area.
“There was a salamander in the stream behind the house. The salamander can only live in good water. No water quality test is required. The salamander was a water quality test. The crayfish will live in anything,” Duncan said. rice field.
“What about the people who live here for the rest of their lives? They always got water from the ground and it was always good,” he said.
The theme of residents’ affection for Yadkin County continues to emerge, with several other speakers coming forward to discuss concerns about how potential mining sites affect the area’s environmental resources. I did.
Cynthia Prevet, a retired teacher at West Yadkin Elementary School, shared her love for the county and talked about her adult daughter and daughter’s friend who recently returned to the county after living in other areas for years. ..
“They learned something during their journey. Yadkin County is a great place to live and raise a family,” Prevet said.
“Remember why we all love Yadkin County,” she added.
At the end of Monday’s meeting, the committee thanked the speakers for their views. President Austin reflected the speaker’s feelings about the county’s affection and made a similar promise.
“We love Yadkin County. We are here for the same reason that you are all here. We were elected to protect Yadkin County. Protect it and protect it. To protect the people of Yadkin County, to protect their lifestyles, and to protect all the good things about Yadkin County, “Austin said. “This is a pledge to you everything we do as a board of directors. That is what we have chosen to do, and that is what we do.”
