Big Hill Spring Gravel Pit held an open house on Feb. 14 at Weedon Pioneer Hall north of Cochrane and only three people attended.
The open house was held in order to discuss their impending development permit for land currently disturbed by the gravel pit.
Of those who attended two were nearby residents who refused to comment and a representative of a neighbouring business (Lafarge) whose business would not allow him to comment.
Representatives of Big Hill Spring Gravel Pit say that the lack of attendees shows that Rocky View County residents are satisfied with the measures taken by the company to mitigate complaints of noise, dust and the visual impact.
You can read about those measures in master site development plan (MSDP), which is available to view at rockyview.ca.
According to the MSDP, because the crushing equipment is now on the floor of the pit and will remain there, Big Hill Spring Gravel Pit feels noise is no longer a concern.
In terms of dust, a water truck is on-site for times that are anticipated to be particularly dusty.
And the visual impact remains mitigated by the 30-metre setback already in place.
In addition, a transportation impact assessment was completed and noted that there are no sight concerns.
Operations manager Dale Collins says the gravel pit has been under its current ownership for about five years now and it employs a number of people from Cochrane and the Cochrane area.
Not compelled by law to hold an open house, he said it was for neighbours to bring forward questions and concerns.
“If we’re doing something wrong or need to be doing something, if we’re aware of it we can handle it,” he said during the open house.
Robert Kelham, a civil engineer with the company, said the development permit covers the 40-acre portion of their quarter-section that is currently disturbed by the gravel pit.
“There’s another 120 acres in the quarter section and it will be decades and decades before all of that is mined,” said Kelham, adding that they will need another permit to start mining that land (Phase 2) and additionally 25 per cent of the current 40 acres must be reclaimed before beginning with Phase 2.
According to the MSDP, reclamation includes moving overburden and top soil back into the pit so it can be seeded.
“We have a reclamation plan that’s busy growing and a storm-water plan and other erosion and sediment control plans, all these plans are busy being developed,” said Kelham. “Some of them, sections of them will be completed prior to Big Hill Springs getting a development permit.”
