Lafarge says it has been a good neighbor, as it plans expansion of mining operations

The Lafarge rezoning request to expand mining operations to the north of the existing quarry has become an emotional topic among many residents of Presque Isle Township.

Members of the township board are expected to vote on the rezoning request from forest and recreation to mining at its next meeting, May 11.

Last Thursday, township officials walked portions of the parcel that is covered in trees.

Many residents signed a petition and voiced their concerns at meetings earlier this month at the township hall.

 

LAFARGE NORTH America would like to expand its mining operations at the Presque Isle Quarry to a parcel of 19 acres north of the existing quarry. Part of the property can be seen in the background of this photo. Pictured are Allan Idalski, plant manager and Robert Budnik, area environmental and public affairs manager. (Photo by Peter Jakey)

Lafarge believes it has been a good neighbor and wants to mine this new 19 acres, that not only has a quality stone, but it would be more economical to remove.

“One of the main reasons this quarry is here is because the glaciers peeled off a lot of the overburden and the stone is very close to the surface. That’s what makes it so attractive,” said Allan Idalski, Presque Isle Quarry, plant manager.  “In the areas to the north, as the deposit starts to shift down, the overburden gets thicker.”

The company drilled core holes in 2012 and determined the quality of stone is one that it would need going forward.

“That’s when this process really started,” said Idalski. “We have been doing a lot of homework.”

The 19 acres has a buffer of 8.6 acres to the west and 15.8 to the north.

The closest resident is Tom Olsen, who lives 1,166 feet from the proposed mining area and voiced his support at the April 7 planning commission meeting. He sold Lafarge, which then was Presque Isle Corporation, 43 acres that is part of the 19 acres more than a decade ago.

“I have never had a complaint against the quarry,” said Olsen, who has lived there since 1971. “There are times when the noise is a little loud, because the wind brings it this way. Over the years we have had some ‘shakes’ at the time they blast, but nothing serious. Nothing fell off the wall. My well still works fine.”

Lafarge operates on more than 5,400 acres and has an estimated reserve life of 35 to 40 years based on the current production rate. The company serves metallurgical and aggregate markets.

“The upper bench has the highest quality stone and that is why we are looking at this parcel,” said Idalski. “We are after the highest quality.” From the mid 1950s to the 1970s the quarry exclusively mined the high quality stone in the upper bench. In the 1970s, it started blending the quality stone with the lower bench.

“The lower bench chemistry is significantly more variable. What we are going to do with the 19 acres, we are going to use it as a sweetener. It is a way to blend in the high quality stone and take out that inconsistency. That’s our goal. We would use it as needed,” said Idalski.

The firm would blast in that area “irregularly,” said Idalski. “We want to stretch the life of it as long as we can because it is the last area that we know of on the property that is viably minable.”

It represents less than half a percent of the current open mining area.

“It would be only a small piece of our operation,” said Idalski. “The lac

k of the sweetener could put us at risk with some of our customers. If we were to lose a big customer with some of the long-term contracts, it could force us to cut back our work force.” The quarry has 16 salaried and 99 hourly employees. Typically, it hires eight to 10 interns.

“On top of the summer kids, we have multiple on-site vendors,” said Idalski.

Additionally, Lafarge spends about $750,000 a year with more than 50 local businesses. It is involved with the community, donating to several causes and charities over the years.

The company also has earned several environmental awards.

(Complete story is in the April 23, 2015 edition of the Advance)