Rice County residents will be able to express their opinions and concerns regarding a controversial proposed gravel mine after the Board of Commissioners voted to extend the permit process another 60 days, allow public comment and further review possible environmental impacts of the mine.
Commissioners said their inboxes were flooded with voicemails and emails regarding the proposed mining operation. The public will be permitted to voice their concerns to the Board of Commissioners at 9 a.m. June 11 in the Board of Commissioners room.
The mine is proposed by Milestone Materials, a subsidiary of the Mathys Construction company in Wisconsin. It would be in rural Nerstrand, just north of Nerstrand Big Woods State Park and west of Prairie Creek Wildlife Management Area.
As Commissioner Jim Purfeerst began the discussion Tuesday morning in front of dozens of constituents, some held handmade picket signs or sheets of paper with their various concerns printed on them.
“I would like to see an environmental assessment done on this,” Purfeerst said. “I think we need to evaluate the location of the aquifers for the wells that are out there. We know this proposed pit is in a highly sensitive groundwater area. And I think I am concerned about a lot of people not being able to voice their opinion in a public-comment period. So for that, I am not going to be in favor of this.”
Commissioner Galen Malecha also said he wouldn’t be in favor of approving the permit at this time.
“I think that we owe it to the people to at least reopen the public-comment period if it falls within the time period,” he said. “There’s rules and regulations around that as well.”
As Rice County Attorney Brian Mortenson pointed out in an email to commissioners last week, county rules only allow for one public comment period on any proposal. Since there was a public hearing at a Planning Commission meeting, Mortenson said there couldn’t be comment at the board meeting.
The email circulated around drew condemnation from former Minnesota Gov. Arne Carlson, who issued an email to several state agencies and requested investigation by the state auditor’s office.
“Your office, which I held for twelve years, was always looked upon as the protector of the rights of local residents to govern,” Carlson wrote to the state auditor. “This includes robust debates with all opinions expressed and, hopefully, a wise and prudent resolution. Public hearings with full participation of the residents is the very core of local government. After all, this is their government and they have the right to fully expect that government to protect their rights to healthy air, healthy water, and a healthy environment.”
County commissioners voted to allow public comment at the June 11 meeting, after which a vote to approve or deny the permit is expected to take place.
“I just think people have the right to a voice,” Malecha said. “And they elect us to be heard and to represent them. And I think we would be doing the right thing by doing so. I certainly agree we need gravel by all means. But there’s a big impact, I think, on residents with this pit here, more so than other gravel pits.”
Commissioner Steve Underdahl also supported allowing public comment. He made the motion to delay a vote and seek additional information regarding the environmental impacts of the mine on the air and water. A decision must be made within 60 days or else the permit is automatically approved.
‘Overblown’ issue
Some of the commissioners felt the public wasn’t giving enough credit to the Planning Commission and staff of the Environmental Services Department. Commissioner Gerry Hoisington said he felt some concerns have been blown out of proportion.
“Not to make light on anybody’s feelings and concerns of the property owners. But some of the reasons that I received seem to be exaggerated, worst-case-scenario-type things,” he said.
He added that the Planning Commission “does not take these things lightly” and that “they’re very competent.” He went on to note that he has trouble understanding the concerns, since there was a mine on the site decades ago and permits to revive it have been approved several times but never came to fruition.
“It’s unusual to see this type of response for a pit,” he said. “I don’t think we’ve done anything wrong procedurally. And I don’t know what’s going to change. I mean, time and place, you know? Obviously this pit was OK for 50 years.”
Several members of the audience groaned. One woman said “You have your facts wrong.”
Hoisington responded.
“Well, it’s been approved,” he said. “People have different views. I’m just trying to put it all together and understand it more really. I don’t know what’s going to change, you know, if this gets delayed or not.”
Commissioner Jeff Docken agreed with Hoisington. Still, the commissioners voted unanimously to table the vote until after the environmental review and once they’ve heard from the public.
Environmental Services Director Julie Runkel said she sent the site plans to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and several other environmental agencies, all of which gave the go-ahead for the mine.
Rallying outside
The crowd of protesters quickly filed out after the vote into the hall outside of the board room of the Rice County Government Services Building. Erik Sahlin is among those vocally concerned about the mine, and he wasn’t satisfied with the vote.
“I haven’t talked to the group yet, but I feel completely dismissed,” he said.
A retired attorney and property owner near the proposed mine, Gina Washburn, rallied the group into a circle and suggested they make a data-practices request to conduct their own analysis of the environmental impacts.
The group is also working on a petition for the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board, which they said needs 100 signatures to trigger an official state audit of the environmental-review process. As of Tuesday morning, there were at least 78 signatures.
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