Jackson County residents have protested the opening of a proposed rock quarry off Highway 441 for several years. At tonight’s meeting at the Commerce Cultural Center, residents will weigh in on the County’s Comprehensive Plan—and whether they think the rock quarry should be a part of it.
Sarah Sutherland owns a farm a mile from the proposed quarry, and does not support mining activity in the area. She says the quarry may effect more than just Jackson County citizens.
“We have multiple concerns. From an environmental standpoint, it’s the groundwater recharge area that the quarry would sit right on top off that would impact both the water supply and quality in Jackson County and in Athens-Clarke County, because it runs downriver, down the North Oconee to the Athens-Clarke County water intake area.”
Though that area of Jackson County isn’t zoned for heavy industry, the quarry’s parent company Vulcan Materials will seek a special use permit at a commission meeting in November.
On its website, Vulcan Materials says that it plans to meet or exceed federal regulations for environmental safety.
