Us at the Burnsville Quarry

WHAT'S THE DEAL?

Ed Kraemer & Sons, Inc. has proposed an extensive extraction of limestone from a site 5 miles north of Northfield, across Highway 3 from the upper-arb. The proposed site is currently being used for agricultural purposes. It has been described as "prime agricultural land" by critics of the project. In total, 610 acres would be altered for the quarry, 413 of which would be for actual extraction. The mine would eventually be 190 feet deep. Limestone and dolomite would be extracted for a variety of uses, most notably road construction. If the mine is as extensive as proposed by Kraemer, after ten years the quarry will produce about 2 million tons annually. This translates into about $150,000 in tax revenues for Waterford annually while the mine is productive. This is more than ten years down the road however. Initially less will be extracted and less will be paid.

Cross Section of Proposed Quarry Area

WHO ARE THE STAKEHOLDERS?

Well, you can basically see four distinct points of view on this issue:

-Ed Kraemer & Sons, Inc. - This man has quite an empire. Limestone extraction is a necessary evil for the American way of life. Most of the roads Minnesotans and, until recently, Wisconsoners drive on are paved with limestone from Kraemer or someone like him. These sorts of environmental disturbances have to take place somewhere if we are to continue existing as we do. For him, Waterford is an excellent source, easier to access than most and therefore the place to commence operations. The issues now being argued over in Waterford would merely be argued about elsewhere in the same fashion if he chose another site and so it is obvious that he has little incentive to back down here just to start the same fight all over again in a new location that may not have as favorable mining conditions. Money talks, and a small place like Waterford needs the kind of money Kraemer can offer.

-The Town - Waterford wants the money this project will bring it. Obviously the quarry would become a major source of revenue over the next few decades, supplying funds for all manner of governance including schools, infrastructure and public projects. Of course after the mining is through, it will become utterly useless and utterly barren of any economic value, but that will take over a hundred years and every one in office will be dead by then anyway. The major concerns of the town are with public opinion, negative impact on citizens near the proposed quarry and environmental concerns, in that order.

-Homeowners and Town Residents - The project would fund schools and alleviate tax burdens. However, concerns over increased traffic, the lowering of the water table and possible health risks all make this a contentious issue. Those living in the immediate vicinity of the mine are concerned about the loss of productive agricultural land, possible drop in property values and noise pollution from the blasting and mechanical operations.

-Environmentalists - Environmentalists oppose the project. Possible negative effects of the mine include: pollution of both air and water, loss of biodiversity, disruption of natural cycles and negative effects including dewatering and run-off problems in Chub Creek and the Cannon River.

Photo of the Burnsville Quarry. Those little things in the upper left hand corner are giant high-voltage electricity towers.

Oh yeah, this is one-third the size of the proposed Waterford quarry.

WHAT WILL THE QUARRY ACTUALLY BE LIKE?

It's hard to imagine just what a 610 acre quarry means. So, in order to get a better grasp of just what type of operation we're talking about here, our group took a field trip to Ed Kraemer's site in Burnsville. (See above photo.) The quarry there, which is about one-third the size of the proposed Waterford quarry, was basically a canyon. One word captures this mine: HUGE. There is no way that even our best Frisbee player could clear the quarry in less than say, fifteen LONG throws. Just to put it in Carleton terms. Admittedly, there was no way to tell just how much it affected the local environment because there was no local environment. Large scale industry was taking place right next door, so whether nearby farms would be affected was not ascertainable. We can however say with relative certainty that very little will ever grow anywhere on the site unless given several thousand years of uninterrupted succession, most of which will take the form of lichen slowly breaking down bare rock into soil. Oh,wait, since the gravel pit actually goes well beneath the water table, the quarry will fill with water and become a lake, a lake that, given enough years of accumulated soil run-off, may one day be able to support a small population of fish.

We didn't go to the quarry on a day during which blasting occurred and therefore have no analysis of what that would be like, but can say that enough trucks went through that place to cause a major source of traffic in a small town like Waterford and kick up quite a bit of dust. (There were signs that said the speed limit was 10 mph, but those guys were doing at least 25.)

HOW WILL THE WATER TABLE BE EFFECTED?

Limestone and dolomite are both porous and hold water below the top of the water table. The local water table is about ten feet deep in the area in question. As the mine will dig approximately 190 feet below ground level, the water that seeps into the mine will have to be pumped out. Kraemer estimates that about 10 million gallons per day, five times what the entire city of Northfield uses in the same time, will have to be "dewatered." This means that water in the water table surrounding the mine will be pulled downwards to replace the water being pumped out. Over time this will have the effect of lowering the water table in the entire area.

Projected impacts of this dewatering through the lifetime of the mine include:

- Loss of essential flow to Pine Creek and Trout Brook, both designated trouts streams. Estimates of affected stream length are at about 6.4 miles.

- Drying 127 acres of wetlands

- Lowering the Canon River for approximately 7 miles.

- Lowering the water level in almost two hundred domestic and public wells

- Another concern involving the lowering of the water table is that soil near the surface used for agriculture may become drier. This means that rain water and irrigation water will fall through the soil at a faster rate and that crops' roots will not have as good a chance to hydrate and absorb nutrients. The implications are that crops with shorter root structures such as corn or soy beans will require more artificial irrigation. This means more run-off and more expense for local farmers.

- Because the water that the mine pumps out has a lot of particulates in it, both natural and industrial, large settling ponds will be established for these particulates to settle out before the water continues into Chub Creek. Concerns both about toxicity content and potential for disastrous run-off problems on the event of flooding (not a rare occurrence) have been raised, as well as Kraemer's commitment to preventing these problems.

- The surrounding area is particularly apt to spreading contaminants through the entire water area form a point source such as the mine.

We're not exactly sure what this does, but it looks eco-friendly.

WHAT IS KRAEMER'S TRACK RECORD?

Kraemer mined extensively in Wisconsin before coming here. Why did he come here? Because Wisconsin outlawed his operations. One particular point of interest:

- Kraemer and Sons sold all of its small mines in Wisconsin. However, the company that bought those mines was "The Kraemer Company" which was owned by guess who? That's right! None other than the same Ed Kraemer.

- The Kraemer Company was caught dumping hazardous wastes in a quarry and fined.

- Kraemer and Sons lost a Wisconsin State Supreme Court case involving their actions with a Baraboo Wisconsin Quartz mine.

WHAT ARE OTHER POSSIBLE ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS?

- Approximately 555 trucks will enter and exit the site each day. Huge amounts of dust will be kicked up by this heavy traffic on unpaved road. This dust travels for miles.

- In order to keep this fleet in action, as well as the huge machinery involved in extraction, Kraemer has proposed two on-site underground fuel tanks for diesel and unleaded gasoline. These will amount to 8000 gallons. Obviously leaks are a concern, especially considering:

- There will be a great deal of blasting going on during mining operations. Noise pollution may be a problem as well as causing cracks in the limestone that allow contaminants to move quickly and preventing water filtration. Also there is concern that blasting may cause problems in the foundations of nearby structures.

- Hazardous wastes including but not limited to oil, washer solvent, mercury lamps, and both lead acid and nickel-cadmium batteries may be on-site. the nature of the rock is such that a point source polluter could contaminate the entire water table.

- Silica is present in crystalline form in all limestone. The mining of silica causes it to be released into the air. Airborne silica is responsible for lung disease, kidney disease and increased cancer rates. Wisconsin is attempting to regulate silica right now.

- Increased wear on Highway 3 and other nearby roads will contribute to more frequent maintenance. Although Kraemer has offered to contribute aggregate (crushed limestone) to alleviate these costs, other factors like steel, labor, and traffic restrictions will all contribute to the costs, both financial and environmental, of this process.

- Wildlife such as turkeys, deer, and other smaller populations will be affected by the loss of habitat.

- Kraemer's pollution is self-regulated. This means that they provide the chemical analysis of the water that they pump out. They follow state mandates, but have no independent verification of their findings. Considering Ed Kraemer's history of pollution, this system hardly seems in anyone's best interest but his.

- A variety of threatened species live in wetlands that could be affected by the dropping of the water table although they are not on the property that the mine will occupy. Two endangered mussels in Chub Creek could be adversely affected by flooding and particulates.

- Wetlands cannot be replaced effectively. It has been proven that wetlands such as those that might be affected by the proposed mine do not function as effectively after restoration.

- Over the next quarter century, the demand of groundwater in the Waterford township is expected to reach nearly one and a half times its current level. Considering the level of usage proposed by Kraemer, it seems likely that during dry years water availability will become a major issue.

WHAT DO WE THINK?

As good Global Change Biology students, we have to arrive at the conclusion that this quarry proposal is ill-advised. Although the money it would bring in would certainly help a small town out, the negative environmental effects will outweigh the financial benefits. The land will be utterly useless after the hundred years are up and what could be sustainable farmland, a precious commodity considering the Earth's increasing population will be nothing but a deep hole. The dangers of pollution are very real considering the delicate nature of the rock formations involved and the poor reputation of the contractor in question. Quite frankly, if Mr. Kraemer gave a damn about the environment he wouldn't be in this business, as his track record shows. Also, run-off from agriculture is already a big problem around here. We had to dredge our lakes, if you'll recall.

A bigger issue at hand here is that of mindset. It has been made painfully obvious that one of the biggest problems America faces environmentally is that of attitude. Thinking about long-term consequences is something short-term bureaucrats have a hard time doing. Money now is not as good as sustainability later. We need to make road construction a less attractive option and encourage productive land-use. The quality of air, water and lifestyle will all be affected by this dinosaur of an industry. Profiting from destroying farmland for industries that increase ease of driving hurts us doubly. Of course the 1100 heavy trucks passing by on a daily basis will cause infrastructure damage almost immediately necessitating larger roads and more environmental damage.

All and all what this quarry proposal comes down to is one question: Have we matured as a nation? Are we still the kind of myopic capitalists that do not temper our lust for money with common sense? Do we still put the lining of our own pockets above our own health and happiness and those of our children? This is the time to let reason be the deciding factor, not to let greed blind us to the detriments of easy revenue. This small town debate is symbolic of our problems as a society, and its outcome may be prophetic of our future.

Links Of Interest:

Other Quarry Photos:

Photo 1

Photo 2

Photo 3

Photo 4

Photo 5

Ed Kraemer & Sons, Inc. Homepage