Carver Sand and Gravel officials are planning to expand their Middleburgh quarry by about 39 acres.
Middleburgh town board members reviewed the plans for the expansion last week.
The plans, drawn up by the engineering firm of Ingalls & Associates of Schenectady call for the mine to be expanded from 77.58 acres to about 114.3 acres, mostly towards the cliffs.
Town officials said that the state Department of Environmental Conservation will be lead agency for the proposal. Town officials do not want the town to be lead agency.
According to the engineers, the original mining operation was to be in five phases varying in size from 3.5 to 7.36 acres. The plant is located at the plant off of Route 30 between Schoharie and Middleburgh.
In order to allow for continued quarry use, the proposed expansion would result in expansions in four of the five phases and the creation of three new phases, according to engineers.
The expansion in the four existing phases would be limited to the creation of an additional stage lowering the mine floor.
The three new phases would total 10.44, 8.33 and 7.28 acres, expanding the mine toward the east, according to the engineers. Each of these phases will be mined in four stages and each stage will be limited to 70 vertical feet with an ultimate mine floor elevation of 750 feet.
Another 12.5 acres located along the southwest portion of the mine site will be expanded for the purpose of stockpiling of materials from the mining operations.
Engineers sated that eventually, all disturbed lands will be reclaimed.
Existing topsoil from the new proposed expansion areas will be stockpiled and will be used in the reclamation.
Blasting will continue at the site. The nearest dwelling not owned by Carver’s is more than a half-mile from the proposed active area, the engineer said. Blasting will be done in accordance with permit conditions and ground vibrations and air blasts will be monitored.
Processing on the site will continue to include screening, crushing and washing. Processing and trucking will be conducted from 6am to 6pm Monday through Saturday with no Sunday, holiday or night-time operation.
According to the engineer, the maximum number of trips generated during peak demand will continue to be 50 loads per day, though operations “will be intermittent and no trips will be generated for periods of time.”
The engineers stated that Route 30 has “sufficient capacity to accommodate the additional trips.”
There will be no on-site burial of refuse on the site and any refuse removed from the site during mining will be subject to DEC rules and regulations for solid waste management.
The engineer states that dust, noise and vibration “are to be mitigated to the fullest extent possible, so as to limit impacts on the surrounding environment.”
DEC spokesperson Rick Georgeson said on Monday morning that the DEC received the expansion application from Carver’s on December 1 and sent out a response on December 4. Carver’s has 30 days to respond to DEC’s request to be lead agency.
The DEC will then determine the impact of the project or may request more information, Mr. Georgeson said.
A public hearing may be needed on the expansion, depending on the response from the public on the proposal, he said.
Carver officials were contacted but could not comment by press time.