PRESQUE ISLE – A request from Lafarge Presque Isle Quarry to rezone a piece of land has drawn the ire of local residents who fear mining the land could hurt nearby lakes and encroach on residential areas.

The Presque Isle Township Planning Commission recently approved a request to rezone 19 acres of a 42-acre parcel owned by Lafarge North America from forest recreation to extractive heavy industry. The piece of land is east of Lotus Lake and about a half-mile east of East Grand Lake Road, as county plat maps show it.

Quarry Manager Allan Idalski said the company wants to mine high-quality limestone there for its biggest customer. Without the higher-grade stone, the quarry potentially could lose a customer that buys one-third of its output and possibly be forced to make layoffs as a result.

However, residents are concerned quarrying the land could affect Lotus Lake and, further to the north, Lake Esau. They’re also worried about the blasts conducted as part of mining operations, and the impacts they’d have on a residential community filled with lake cottages and summer homes.

Deborah Henley said she’s gathered 224 signatures on a petition opposing the rezoning request. She cited a portion of the township’s master plan from 2014 stating the township didn’t expect quarrying operations would expand, and a township ordinance urging for the conservation of natural resources.

“Nobody wanted any expansion of mining up here because we like our natural resources,” she said. “We recognize the mine is there. What’s currently zoned mining is being mined. They don’t need any more.”

Henley said she’s also worried that mining the land would affect Lotus Lake and Lake Esau. The quarry currently pumps hundreds of thousands of gallons of water into Lake Esau every year, and she fears expanding the quarry could cause lake levels to drop. She and others also worry what might happen when quarrying operations cease.

Township Planning Commission member Steve Lang said he voted against the request because he has concerns about the proposal. It’s currently before the Presque Isle County Planning Commission for a 30-day review period and should be before township trustees for their May 11 meeting.

“The neighbors are very concerned, and rightly so,” he said. “You’d hate to have something happen and have Grand Lake disappear. I’m not sure I have that concern, but until that question’s answered, you kind of wonder what could happen.”

Grand Lake Association President Kip Kauffman said she’s also opposed to the expansion, although she’s tried to keep an open mind about what has become a charged issue. The association sent a letter to the township stating its opposition to the proposed quarry expansion, citing concerns about impacts to the watersheds of nearby lakes and from blasts in the quarry.

At the same time, Kauffman said she recognizes Lafarge’s legitimate business interest in seeking the expansion.

“Like any controversial issue, there’s two sides – the environmental way to look at it and the business way to look at it,” she said.

Township Supervisor Mark Devers said he’s aware of the concerns and is waiting to hear more information before making up his mind. He expects the township planning commission’s report of fact to be ready for its May 7 meeting. A mining engineer gave a presentation at the April 6 planning commission meeting, and Devers said he’s hoping to find more expert opinions on the proposal.

The township received the rezoning request in November, Zoning Administrator Linda Taylor said. Its planning commission held a public hearing on Feb. 2 and postponed making a decision while it did more fact-finding.

Bob Budnik, Lafarge area environmental and public affairs manager, said the impacts of the expansion shouldn’t affect residents any more than current operations do. If anything, they should improve, as the quarry is working on new blasting techniques.

The ground itself doesn’t contain wetlands or protected species, and represents about 0.35 percent of the quarry’s overall mining area, Budnik said.

“It’s a very small area compared to what we’re currently mining,” he said. “No additional impacts are expected.”

Idalski said the land contains what’s known as the first bench of limestone, the highest-quality stone. Once quarried, the plant would mix this stone in with more varied lower-bench stone to “sweeten” it.

The land was purchased from a nearby property owner in 1995, Idalski said, and under it is the last piece of this high-grade stone that hasn’t been extracted and which lies within a viable mining area. Without it, the quarry might not be able to meet the specifications required of its largest customer.

“There is a risk that, if we weren’t able to meet their specs, that we could see a dramatic cutback,” he said. “If we cut back one-third of sales, it means we cut back one-third of production, and it could mean we cut back one-third of the workforce.”

Idalski stressed this is only a possibility, but the cut could mean the loss of 30 to 35 employees. While the quarry is hiring three people, they’re to replace three employees who retired.

The quarry recently spent upward of $25,000 on a new pumping system to pump water into Lake Esau, Idalski said, so it’s committed to doing so while quarrying operations continue. It’s also working to resume pumping water into Lotus Lake, which it ceased in 2007, although this will require more time and money to build the infrastructure.

A longer-term arrangement for Lake Esau after mining ceases would need to be made at a higher level within Lafarge, Idalski said. It’s also complicated by the fact that much of the quarry sits on land leased from Quile Corporation, a trust fund benefiting Yale University and managed by J.P. Morgan.

Underground geology should keep lake waters from seeping into the quarry, Idalski said, and newer blasting techniques should change the way people perceive the ground vibrations the blasts create. A seismograph set up by a third party reads the ground vibrations and air blasts created, and Idalski said vibrations and blasts at the quarry fall well within levels set by the U.S. Bureau of Mines.

“I know it’s an emotional topic,” he said. “What we’re trying to do is show people the facts. Hopefully a decision is made on that, the facts and science behind it. That’s all we’re asking for.”

Jordan Travis can be reached via email at jtravis@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5688. Follow Jordan on Twitter @jt_alpenanews. Read his blog, A Snowball’s Chance, at www.thealpenanews.com.