Stop Ed King (King Estate Winery) from Changing Forest Area to a Rock Quarry!

Since 2015, Oakridge residents have been battling a millionaire who wants to mine gravel for the next 35-50 years from TV Butte, a butte located on the east edge of Oakridge, Oregon.

Ed King III, owner and cofounder of King Estate Winery, along with additional investors, purchased this land and is seeking to rezone the butte overlooking Oakridge from forestland to quarry use. The plan, called Old Hazeldell Quarry, seeks to transform 107 acres of the forested hillside into aggregate rock that will be sold for highway construction among other things.

This butte is a common place for elk herds to frequent heavily during calving. It has also been recognized as a Molalla Native American village site by the tribal council of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.

The proposed quarry site is situated in the Salmon Creek/Salt Creek watershed which, includes a Native Fish Hatchery and popular camping and recreation sites. Tourists and locals enjoy the Salmon Creek Watershed for its forested trails, native trout habitat, wildlife, and tranquil, pristine setting. The change in zoning from protected 'Forest Land' to 'Quarry and Mining Operation' would threaten the fragile Salmon Creek/Salt Creek watershed, destroy habitats and negatively impact plant and animal biodiversity.

Residents are worried about the pollution of the silica dust from gravel, desecrating a former Native American burial site, destroying an important calving area for the local elk herd, among other issues such as excessive noise, truck traffic, groundwater contamination, and Oakridge's tourist economy.

PETITION IN OPPOSITION TO THE OLD HAZELDELL QUARRY PROJECT

Lane County Planning Action Numbers:
509-PA23-05452: Plan Amendment / Zone Change Amendment to the Significant Goal 5 Inventory

509-PA23-05454: Site Review for Mining Operations


This Petition by the citizens and visitors of Oakridge, Oregon, is to oppose the proposed 107 acres land use changes requested by the Old Hazeldell Quarry. Living within the pristine Willamette National Forest, we value out healthy outdoor lifestyle. We, the undersigned, hereby raise our concerns that this proposed mining quarry on the very edge of the city limits of Oakridge would negatively impact Oakridge in many ways:

Increased Health Hazards and Safety Risks:

A quarry adjacent to our town which blasts silica dust particulates into the air, would threaten our air and water quality. Dust pollution mitigation efforts would not prevent such particulates.

The eight to nine trucks per hour filled with mining aggregate driving through our small town on Highway 58, would emit silica dust into the air, air pollution from the truck exhaust, and a hazardous increase in commercial truck traffic.

The old landfill site could create toxic and hazardous leakage, and run-off into our rivers.

There would be a depleting impact on our local aquifer, negatively affecting both our energy resilience and wildlife fighting reserves.

It would create an increased challenge for Oakridge residents who already struggle with barriers relating to poverty, access to medical care, and chronic disease.

Impact Area is Too Small:

The application's 1500 foot impact area is insufficient to address the actual impact area of such a quarry operation. The true impact would extend far past the immediate vicinity of the quarry and indeed across the entire town of Oakridge and the region. As examples, both the trucks running through our town on Highway 58, and the impact of the air and water quality, are outside the currently-designated 1,500 foot impact area.

Adverse to Our Direction Toward Green Solutions:

The outcome of the quarry decision would either protect or reverse the direction of our community toward green solutions. The Federal Government, Lane County, and many other partners are highly invested into Oakridge economically and environmentally to improve our quality of life and the healthy environment.

Partners invested in improving Oakridge include: Lane Electric Co-Op, Oregon Regional Solutions, South County Public Health, Orchid Health, Lane County Economic Development, U.S. Forest Service, Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality, Senator Prozanski, Sustainable Northwest, and the Oakridge School District.

Oakridge is already challenged by poor air quality, such that the Environmental Protection Agency awarded Oakridge a $4,900,000 Targeted Air Shed Grant "to reduce air pollution in the nation's areas with the highest levels of ozone and PM 2.5 ambient air concentrations."

Risks to Our Tourism-Based Economy:

The quarry would alter our outdoor environment away from our tourism-based economy and our wildlife inventory.

Any leakage cleanup costs from the old landfill would land on the city of Oakridge.

Oakridge is the Mountain Biking Capital of the Northwest, a brand created and promoted by Lane County, which has committed thousands of dollars to assist established and new businesses with marketing.

The Mining Use is Not Supported by the Lane County Rural Comprehensive Plan Policies:

Land Conservation and Development Department 660-023-0180 (5) (d)

Economic, Social, Environmental, and Energy (ESEE)