Wilkes-Barre – The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has granted Pennsy Supply Co., Inc., out of Harrisburg, a permit to expand its surface mining operations at the Small Mountain Quarry in Dorrance Township, Luzerne County.  The permit has been under review by the department since it was submitted in March of 2009.  

The new permit replaces two existing mining permits, and includes an additional 184 acres of mining area, bringing the total new permitted mining area to 316.75 acres.  However, the new mining area cannot be activated until Pennsy Supply receives the appropriate local zoning approvals, and final approval of an Indian Bat habitat plan from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  The new permit also authorizes Pennsy Supply to continue mining on the previously permitted areas.

“DEP in reviewing and issuing this permit has taken into consideration all of the local citizen’s concerns and addressed them pursuant to our regulatory framework and guidelines to the maximum extent possible”, said DEP Pottsville District Mining Manager Mike Menghini.  “The new permit also has some additional safeguards and requirements incorporated into it that will help to insure the public and environment are protected from possible adverse impacts or conditions.” 

The permit application has been the subject of concern by local residents in Dorrance Township.  A public hearing was held at the Dorrance Township Fire Company in August of 2009.  The main area of concern is runoff into a nearby stream known as Balliet Run. DEP has addressed the issue with Pennsy Supply, and has determined that the storm-water management plan included in the permit is adequate and also ensures all runoff from mining operations either infiltrates into the ground or is directed to a receiving stream other than Balliet Run. A hydro-geologic evaluation was done in conjunction with the permit as well, and the permittee does not intend to mine below the regional groundwater elevation, nor does the permit allow the pumping of groundwater.   

Pennsy Supply has also been re-issued its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit and DEP has required Pennsy to post bonds totaling more than $2-million for activities authorized under the new permit.

Media contact: Colleen Connolly (570-826-2511)

DORRANCE TWP – Pennsy Supply Inc. today announced that the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has issued a permit approving the company’s plan to expand the Small Mountain Quarry, which would extend the life of the quarry and save 150 quarry jobs.

“We are very pleased to receive the DEP permit to continue our operations at Small Mountain Quarry,” said Patrick Bartorillo, President of Pennsy Supply, North Region. “Our engineers have worked diligently to design a state-of-the-art project that will protect the health, safety and welfare of the community.”

Specifically, the expansion plan takes the following actions:

• Directs storm water away from Balliet’s Run. Storm water would flow northward, as it currently does, with most of the water being infiltrated through the ground.
• Encloses rock crushing equipment to significantly reduce noise and dust.
• Begins mining in the northwest corner of the property and proceeds in a southeast direction, leaving the natural barrier of the mountain in place during the excavation to provide additional visual and sound barriers for neighbors.
• Establishes a final quarrying depth of 1230 feet, which is 20 feet higher than the original plan and further ensures no disturbance of the water table.
• Establishes a minimum 100-foot buffer between the quarry excavation and wetlands. The average distance between wetlands and mining is more than 200 feet. 

Small Mountain Quarry has operated for more than 20 years on the north side of Small Mountain Road. The current quarry is scheduled to soon exhaust its materials. If that happens, the company would be forced to lay off about 150 mining, maintenance and construction workers from well-paying jobs.

Now that the DEP permit has been issued, Bartorillo said, the company will seek approval of the project from the township supervisors. Following months of hearings, the supervisors suspended the conditional use proceedings to allow the company to perform further environmental testing and seek DEP approval of its revised plan.

“In the past few years, the township and DEP have held numerous public hearings on our expansion project. We have listened closely to the concerns raised by residents and officials,” Bartorillo said. “The company responded by enhancing our plans and obtaining DEP’s approval. We hope we can now move forward with this project and keep these jobs in Luzerne County.”

In addition to 150 jobs, Small Mountain Quarry annually spends millions of dollars in goods and services from companies in northeastern Pennsylvania. The economic impact of closing the quarry would also be felt by local municipalities and taxpayers, who would be faced with higher road building costs from companies outside of the region.