D/CTA Against Quarry Expansion
March 31,2005


We the members of the D/CTA, residents, taxpayers, and voters of this area are very concerned about the proposed expansion of mining operations within the BCS Quarry and the proposed relocation of its asphalt and stone crushing plants.
As you are well aware there has been continual oppositions to the expansion of BCS ever since the DEC discarded residents’ objections and issued Carte Blanc renewal permits in 1998.
Since that time the situation in this and surrounding neighborhoods has only worsen. Contrary to DEC findings, blast effects, dust , diesel, asphalt emissions, solid particle discharges to creeks, water tables, underground water flow, and impact on health, the environment and ecology have not been adequately addressed, or resolved.
As operations at BCS have increased so has the truck traffic and size of trucks plying our neighborhood roads. We now have tankers, forty-ton stone haulers, asphalt haulers, and a slew of twenty-ton trucks spewing, dust, dirt, diesel exhaust, and asphalt fumes throughout a residential area.
Relationships with BCS and residents have mostly been adversarial. Any changes brought about in its operations have only been accomplished through long and tedious struggles.
After long discussions, and dedicated efforts on the parts of Mr. Thomas Johnson, Mr. Dennis Gabryszak, certain town council members, Mr. Tokasz, members of the D/CTA and CCC, BCS still refuses to move its entrance from Como Park to Broadway/Indian Road except under its conditions that are not acceptable.
Blasting vibrations and noise, dust, dirt, truck traffic, is still a nuisance to the residents of this area.
We still suffer from occasional releases of Hydrogen Sulfide; Cayuga Creek is still subjected to discharges from BCS. Solid particles of silt or clay cover the western part of the creek bed as opposed to the eastern part. This no doubt may have an effect on the environment and ecology of the creek. I believe that a part of your organization is supposedly devoted to protect the environment, ecology and welfare of the residents?
Issuing this permit for modification will only worsen conditions. Consider the removal of five acres of vegetation, brush and trees, its impact on wild life (eight acres have recently been removed from Bennett road for residential construction) and water run off. Removal of overburden will result in more noise and dust spread through the neighborhoods as untarped trucks haul it away!
Mining thirty-nine more acres will result in more blasting vibrations as operations of this type move to the surface and closer to residential areas.
Truck traffic will surely increase as asphalt production and recycling operations increase. What impact will this have on property values and the salability of homes in the area?
Issues concerning health, well being, effect on the environment, and ecology have still not been fully addressed or resolved in any matter. The CCC has extensive reports and findings on these issues! We do not need to add to these problems.
Heavy truck traffic will not be removed from Como Park causing more damage to a road not designed to take forty-ton trucks. The county will be forced to rebuild this road with a deeper, heavier roadbed at an extra cost of three million dollars to county taxpayers (talk about corporate welfare).
The relocation of the asphalt plant will be unsightly and will be in such a location as to have fumes impact wide areas to the east and north.
Further excavations of this proportion will surly has an effect on the water table and directional flow of underground water – will this have a detrimental effect, along with blasting vibrations on residential properties?
Clustered around this quarry are churches, schools, a hospice, a nursing home, senior residential centers, a day care center, and hundreds of residential homes.
This is not an area for quarry operations and more so not a place to have those operations expanded, and extended for another twenty years.
It would be nice for once, if the DEC could consider the welfare of ordinary taxpayers and voters and not continually side with big corporations, businesses, and political campaign contributors!
Thank your for your attention to this urgent matter. We hope to receive a reply to this letter.