CHEEKTOWAGA
Delay urged on quarry expansion
By BARBARA O'BRIEN
News Southtowns Bureau
6/10/2005

A University at Buffalo professor is urging that any action on Buffalo Crushed Stone's proposal to expand mining at its Bellevue quarry wait until a health study is released.
It seems like "nonsense" to expand operations at the quarry in a residential area, said Joseph A. Gardella Jr., professor of chemistry and associate dean for external affairs at UB.

Buffalo Crushed Stone is seeking state permission to mine a 39-acre parcel between its west and east quarries at its facility off Como Park Boulevard in Cheektowaga. The company would move its rock-crushing and blacktop plants from the isthmus 150 feet down into the east quarry basin.

Members of the community and town officials have opposed the proposal. The quarry is preparing an environmental impact statement, and has accepted comments on the possible effects the additional mining will have on the environment.

Gardella told the state Department of Environmental Conservation in a letter that key issues to be addressed are the composition of dangerous air particulates released in the operation and the lack of a monitoring plan to help protect residents from them.

"I don't think they should take any action until the health study comes out," he said.

Gardella is working with the state Department of Health in cooperation with Cheektowaga Citizens Coalition and the Erie County Health Department on a study of the rates of autoimmune and respiratory diseases in the Bellevue area. The report is almost complete, and should be out soon, he said. The release of free crystalline silica from mine blasting and the exhaust from the large number of diesel trucks in the area of the quarry are environmental health issues that must be addressed, he said.

Meanwhile, Town Board members formally supported the recommendations made by the town's Environmental Advisory Committee on the expansion. The committee said the proposal shows mining closer to the north property line than is allowed under town zoning and questions the assertion there are 219 acres where mining is permitted, when the properly zoned area is 162 acres.

John Stonefield, the acting director of the citizens coalition, said the Town Board should do more. He wants the town to apply pressure to the quarry to address problems created by the quarry.

"There's too many people who have problems because of that quarry," he said.

He also said the quarry should be required to cover the rock conveyer belts and wash down trucks to reduce the amount of dust.


e-mail: bobrien@buffnews.com