The Division of Mineral and Geologic Resources has announced that a public hearing will be held on Tuesday, December 17 at 6 p.m. at the DeKalb County Complex at 712 South Congress Boulevard, Smithville, over a proposed Jones Brothers Contractors LLC rock quarry in the Liberty/Alexandria area. An information session will be held at 5 p.m. The public may also participate in public hearings by telephone at 1-629-209-4396 or phone conference ID 227 077 290#. If you have difficulty connecting to the hearing, call 1-865-441-4773.
The hearing is being conducted for those in the public to speak out against the state’s issuance of a water quality permit for the proposed operation of Jones Alexandria Quarry at 2159 Old Highway 53, Liberty, and the potential impact on human health and the environment.
The public notice was issued Wednesday, November 13, by the Division of Mineral and Geologic Resources announcing a public hearing regarding the proposed issuance of a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit.
The purpose of the hearing is to gather information from the public relevant to a final decision on the permit application. Comments not related to water quality or to the information contained in the permit application will not be considered in the decision-making process. Issues such as air quality, zoning, blasting, noise, dust, and traffic are not related to water quality and are not regulated by the Division of Mineral and Geologic Resources or the NPDES program therefore, consideration of these issues would not contribute relevant information for the proposed permit.
The hearing is being held after the DeKalb County Commission voted by a two-thirds majority, to adopt the county powers act and regulations prohibiting rock quarries, rock crushers, gravel pits, cryptocurrency mining, landfills, adult entertainment and methadone clinics from locating within 5,000 feet of a residence, school, licensed daycare facility, park, recreation center, church, retail, commercial, professional, or industrial establishment.
The act would apply to all such facilities that were not in existence and in operation by October 28, 2024. No word yet from the county on when the provisions of the county powers act will be enforced.
While the presentation video on the water permit references one stream that would eventually empty into Helton Creek, the permit makes no mention of a second creek that begins on the property that runs east and eventually empties into the Smith Fork in the Liberty area.
More information about the water permit and the hearing can be found at www.tn.gov/environment/ppo-public-participation/ppo-public-participation/ppo-dmgr.html.
