NSSGA Reclmation

RECLAMATIONA Natural Choice

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STONE, SAND & GRAVELREVIEW

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE NATIONAL STONE, SAND & GRAVEL ASSOCIATIONSeptember/October 2011

4 STONE, SAND & GRAVEL REVIEW, September/October 2011

EVENTSNSSGAhttp://www.nssga.org/meetings.cfm

NSSGA 2011 Fall Board MeetingThe BreakersPalm Beach, Fla.Oct. 1-4, 2011Contact: Cynthia McDowell([email protected])

NSSGA Noise & Dust WorkshopKerford LimestoneWeeping Water, Neb.Nov. 1-3, 2011Contact: Joe Casper(jcasper @nssga.org)

NSSGA 2012 Annual Convention Charlotte, N.C.March 11-14, 2012Contact: Cynthia McDowell ([email protected])

2012 AGG1 Forum & ExpoCharlotte Convention CenterCharlotte, N.C.March 13-15, 2012 Contact: Tim Reagan ([email protected])

Stone, Sand & Gravel REVIEW is designed to provide a communication forum for the aggregates industry through which to facilitate the exchange of information on industry technology, trends, developments and concerns. Unless otherwise indicated, the views expressed in Stone, Sand & Gravel REVIEW are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official positions or policies of NSSGA. No endorsement of those views should be inferred unless specifically expressed as such and identified as the official policy or position of NSSGA.

Publisher: Jennifer Joy WilsonExecutive Editor: Peggy DisneyContributing Editors: Joseph Casper, Emily Coyner, Andrew P. Dougherty, Dale Drysdale, James R. Finch, Michael Liptak, Cynthia McDowell, Tim Reagan, Christopher Richards, Tina M. Richards, James T. Riley, Cesar Silva, Pamela J. WhittedStaff Support: Shannon Grace, Nadira Peiris, Julius Serrano Janice B. Springs, Catherine Whalen, Latrice N. Holland-Zebouchi

NSSGA OFFICERSChairman: Dave Thomey, Maryland Materials, Inc.Officers: Ron Summers, CalPortland Company; Ward Nye, Martin Marietta Materials; Dana Davis, Teichert Aggregates; Anne Lloyd, Martin Marietta Materials; Bill Schneider, Knife River CorporationPresident & CEO: Jennifer Joy WilsonExecutive Vice President: R.A. “Gus” Edwards, III

MANUFACTURERS AND SERVICES DIVISIONChairman: Bill Wetta, II, Dredging Supply Co., Inc.Officers: George Sidney, Jr., McLanahan Corporation; Jeff Sikora, Hazemag USA; Joe Vig, KPI-JCI and Astec Mobil Screens

Stone, Sand & Gravel REVIEW (ISSN 8750-9210) is published bimonthly by NSSGA. Editorial and executive offices: 1605 King Street, Alexandria, Va. 22314. Telephone: (703) 525-8788; (800) 342-1415. FAX: (703) 525-7782; Internet: www.nssga.org.Copyright © 2011 by the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association. All rights reserved. No parts of the contents may be reproduced by any means without written consent of the association. Subscription rates: NSSGA members —$48.00 per year of membership dues is set aside as subscription payment to Stone, Sand & Gravel REVIEW; non-members —$85.00 per year. Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria, Va., and additional offices.

Postmaster: Send address changes to Stone, Sand & Gravel REVIEW,1605 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.

Published by Naylor, LLC5950 NW 1st Place, Gainesville, Florida 32607352-332-1252, 800-369-6220, fax 352-331-3525www.naylor.com

Publisher: Kathleen GardnerEditor: Leslee MastersProject Manager: Melissa ZawadaPublication Director: Christine RicciAdvertising Sales: Ryan Griffin, Bill Mulligan, Rick SauersResearch: Brianna MartinLayout & Design: Surendra GuptaAdvertising Art: Ryan Griffin, Bill Mulligan, Rick SauersResearch: Brianna Martin

©2011 by the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association. All rights reserved and all commercial use of the contents prohibited except as expressly authorized, in writing, by the association.

Published September 2011/nsas0511/5338

STONE, SAND & GRAVEL REVIEW, www.nssga.org 7

The bimonthly publication of the National Stone, Sand & Gravel AssociationSeptember/October 2011, Volume 27, Number 5

TABLE OF CONTENTS12 RECLAMATION – WHAT HAPPENS IN THE FUTURE CAN GET A PROJECT

APPROVED NOWWhat has become clear is that reclamation plans are now a key component of any quarry application, explains Christopher M. Hopkins, The Saint Consulting Group. It can be a tool to attract local support for any operation by addressing the issues important to frequent opponents.

17 SUSTAINABLE MINE RECLAMATION – CURRENT AND FUTURE TRENDSWendy Schlett, GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc., describes how future trends for mine reclamation are beginning to take on a “sustainability” framework. By incorporating a sustainability focus into mine reclamation, aggregate producers are fi nding that early planning with a focus on the end use of the reclaimed mine is becoming increasingly important.

19 VALUE RECLAMATION PLANNING – SUSTAINING AMERICA’S FUTURE ONE QUARRY AT A TIMEQuarry Lake at Greenspring, located in Baltimore, Md., effectively demonstrates how Value Reclamation Planning from Richard Hoehn and Lyndon Hart, Hoehn Landscape Architecture, LLC, can creatively transform quarry reclamation properties into outstanding sustainable land uses and community assets for future generations.

21 SUSTAINABILITY – WHY REPORT?In today’s market, a growing number of stakeholders are demanding greater disclosure and transparency regarding companies’ sustainability initiatives. In her article, Margie P. Flynn, BrownFlynn, discusses the benefi ts of reporting and how to report on a company’s sustainability efforts and progress.

23 REFLECTIONS OF THE SUSTAINABILITY TASK FORCE CHAIRMANIn October of 2008, Matt Stewart, Lafarge, became chair of the NSSGA Sustainability Task Force. Upon refl ecting on his three years in this role, he says what surprises him the most about this period of time is that despite the extreme change in global economic prosperity, sustainability has endured as a key driver for leading businesses in all sectors.

29 GRIDLOCK IS UNACCEPTABLENSSGA’s Pam Whitted doesn’t mince words when she says, “Gridlock is unacceptable.” She says the gridlock that plagues America’s urban roads and highways is mirrored in the nation’s Capital where it is preventing passage of almost any legislation. The nation is on a collision course, she warns, unless continued enthusiastic and intense advocacy moves Congress forward on the Road to Reauthorization.

33 AGG1 DEVELOPING ITS OWN IDENTITYOne of the lessons of past AGG1s is the complicated nature of the AGG1 Expo versus the NSSGA Annual Convention held at the same time and in close proximity. Is it a convention with a trade show or a trade show with a convention? Rick Feltes, Lafarge, traces the evolution of AGG1 and the Annual Convention that now have very different purposes and very different attendee demographics.

35 COFFEE WITH A CONTRARIANRecently, NSSGA launched a program to make digital communications a core vehicle for member engagement. NSSGA’s Tim Reagan sits down to chat with “Mr. Contrarian” to see if he could help him understand this member’s resistance to the new initiative, since “Mr. Contrarian” seems convinced that moving to the digital world won’t work for his business.

Departments 4 Events Calendar

9 Legislative Calendar

38 Rip & Share Safety Handout

41 NSSGA@Work

44 Products & Services Guide Listings

46 Index to Advertisers

46 Advertiser.com

On the Cover:

Text TO COME

RECLAMATIONA Natural Choice

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STONE, SAND & GRAVELREVIEW

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE NATIONAL STONE, SAND & GRAVEL ASSOCIATIONSeptember/October 2011

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Quarry Reclamation

Growing up just south of Boston, my limited knowledge about quarries was drawn primarily from the abandoned granite pits of Quincy, long notorious for attracting the young, the fearless and the forbidden.

The last of the quarries had closed in 1963 after producing granite for the entire region since the early 19th Century. I knew them only as a locally legendary hangout where the “daring” kids went to swim during hot summer days and nights.

There was no reclamation plan for the Quincy quarries. One by one, they closed and were left abandoned, many filling with water hundreds of feet deep. Aside from the kids who swam in the dark waters and dove from the steep ledges, the quarries were a popular spot to dump stolen cars.

It took decades of public hand-wringing – and the loss of many young lives – before any serious reclamation plan was implemented. And that happened only because of a pressing need to get rid of the earth excavated for Boston’s massive “Big Dig” public works project to bury elevated highways and build a new harbor tunnel.

Ending in 2003, more than 13 million tons of dirt and clay was dumped to fill most of the Quincy quarries. Today, they are home to Granite Links Golf Club at Quarry Hills, with spectacular views of the Boston skyline. Golf Digest named it one of the top new golf courses in the country in 2004.

When my firm first started advis-ing clients in the aggregate industry,

we found that a popular reclamation plan submitted by our clients was to use the quarry as a landfill when the material reserves were exhausted. This seemed like a logical idea. The need for landfills was increasing, and the sig-nificant hole left in the ground could be filled with waste from the com-munity in question, which could even grow revenues through leasing out the landfill to private companies.

We noticed trouble ahead, however, when we conducted our first annual Saint Index survey on American atti-tudes about local development at the end of 2005. A landfill, it turned out, is Americans’ most unwanted type of project for their hometown. Making things even more difficult for our clients: after a landfill or a casino, a quarry is the third least-desired type of local project. The rankings have held pretty much steady right through 2011.

A good reclamation plan can be an important asset when seeking to permit a quarry. The golf course built atop the filled granite quarries of Quincy, Mass., is but one of a myriad of different post-quarry uses that are acceptable to a community. Across the country, various different reclamation plans have been attrac-tive enough to help gain community support for a quarry project and overcome opposition.

According to Lynne Tweed, a plan-ner in West Des Moines, Iowa, a good, solid reclamation plan can be the key to getting or not getting an approval. Martin Marietta Materials’ completed reclamation in West Des Moines,

by Christopher M. HopkinsSenior Vice President, Aggregates and MiningThe Saint Consulting Group

What happens in the future can get a project approved now


Raccoon River Park, has been called the “crown jewel” of the West Des Moines park system. The park includes a lake, boat ramp, a swimming beach and a nature trail.

According to Tweed, community acceptance of a reclamation plan is primarily location-driven; mak-ing sure that what is planned after the quarry will f it in with the

future comprehensive plan for the community.

Another key factor in acceptance of a plan is the life span of the quarry. If the quarry has an expected life span of 40 years or more, the reclamation plans will not need to be as specific as a mine with a 10- to 20-year lifespan, Tweed said. With the extended time, more fluidity is needed to allow

for what will be occurring 40 to 50 years in the future and to give local officials more flexibility to determine what will ultimately be there. For a mine with a shorter life span, the current board can more accurately predict the situation that will exist when reclamation is implemented and, therefore, more-specific requirements will likely be imposed.

In Baltimore County, Md. Lafarge created natural habitat as its reclama-tion of a quarry site. Wetlands were developed to meet environmental remediation requirements, replacing a stream, natural vegetation and wildlife habitat.

For a community to accept a recla-mation plan, trust is essential. One planner in the south stated that if a company does not have a good reputation, especially for following through on promises, much more scrutiny is focused on all facets of a permitting application. That scrutiny is even more intense when it comes to promises of what the company will do far in the future, the planner said. The best way to avoid having devel-opment plans viewed over-critically by local officials is for a company to maintain its reputation as a good corporate neighbor and to become very involved in the communities in which it operates.

Being involved includes maintaining your reputation in the local commu-nity. Instead of just writing a check or offering a sponsorship, become active in local schools, conduct tours for school children that include par-ents, have an employee coach a youth sports team. This direct involvement in the community allows your firm to interact with residents, helping to educate them about the industry.

All of the planners we spoke to about quarry reclamation stated that the most popular reclamation plans they see are those that return the site to a natural habitat. A recent example would be Martin Marietta’s quarry on more than 400 acres in North Carolina, where the multiple pits were filled with water for breeding grounds for Canada geese and ducks. The site


also includes additional plantings of grass and trees that established a feeding area for deer and other wildlife habitat.

Santa Clara County, Calif., is now in the process of considering a quarry expansion where the company has updated a reclamation plan originally approved in 1985. The change would allow the company to mine the area that was planned for reclamation.

California has statewide reclama-tion criteria that must be followed by counties and cities. The Mining Reclamation act of 1975 (SMARA) set forth these criteria, which include an audit of previously approved rec-lamation plans to ensure that they meet the current standards. The new plan in Santa Clara was in part a response to an audit stating that the reclamation plan was not up to current standards.

Gary Rudholn, a county planner, said that focus on the end use is required. The project’s Environmental Impact Statement must include a study on what the reclamation use will be.

Raccoon River Park has been called the “crown jewel” of the West Des Moines park system.

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California in 1991 created the Office of Mine Reclamation to administer SMARA. The office offers assistance to cities, counties and state agencies in planning cost-effective reclamation. According to its regulations:

OMR strives to reclaim mined lands to a beneficial end-use through the implementation of SMARA, prevent or minimize the adverse environmental effects of mining by providing assis-tance to lead agencies and miners in the

review of reclamation plans, and mini-mize residual hazards to public health and safety through the Abandoned Mine Lands program.

What has become clear is that reclamation plans are now a key component of any quarry application. Along with that comes attention by officials on the financial stability of the applicant or whatever entity is ultimately responsible for implement-ing the plan. Communities often require that bonds be posted to cover the anticipated cost of reclamation. Posting of such bonds can also help ease local concerns during the per-mitting process.

Reclamation needs to be well thought out, planned and presented to the community. It can be a tool to attract local support for your plan by addressing the issues important to frequent opponents such as envi-ronmentalists and defenders of the “community character” status quo.

The Saint Consulting Group is an international political land use manage-ment consulting firm. ■

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