Some Schuyler County residents are opposing the new Padua Ridge Gravel Pit expansion
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (WETM) – The DEC held a public hearing February 13 to give community members an opportunity to voice their opinions on a proposed expansion of the Padua Ridge Gravel Pit. More than two dozen people showed up.
It’s Green Now owns the Padua Ridge Gravel Pit and hopes to expand the mine to 75.28 acres from its current 14.33 acres. The 764 page application to expand the mine has sat dormant for 16 years and just became available to the public in January. Many people say the February 28 deadline for comment is too little time to read the entire document.
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“It’s been a dormant application for 16 years. Yet, you’ve only given us the required bare minimum to review this application. I am here on behalf of our membership, on behalf of our community to say you really need to extend the time,” said Executive Director of the Watkins Glen Chamber of Commerce Nigar Hale.
“A resolution was drafted expressing the county legislature’s concern regarding the insufficient amount of time allowed for comment on this proposed expansion that will greatly impact our community,” said Schuyler County Legislator Michael Lausell.
Today’s public hearing shows that many residents near the proposed expansion believe it poses a risk to the community, environment and tourism. This includes Watkins Glen State Park and the two cemeteries it neighbors.
“This expansion would be a strong detriment to our community. Living in this area my entire lifetime, the request for this property would be catastrophic in my mind for this beautiful village and town. The expansion of upwards of seven-plus acres, approximately one tenth the size of the overall village, would be disastrous for us,” said Watkins Glen Mayor Laurie DeNardo.
“From our cemetery committee, my understanding has been that the gravel pit already mined what they could adjacent to our property. However, when I came in today and looked at the map, it seems like they plan on coming closer. So that needs to be clarified,” said Father Jeffrey Tunnicliff of St. Mary’s on the Lake.
“I believe St. Mary’s cemetery is one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the country and it’s so peaceful and part of my concern is how close they may be coming to that boundary. I think that needs to be watched,” said Schuyler County resident Elaine Dalrymple.
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“The current draft environmental impact statement, or DEIS, does not clearly indicate where active mining activities may occur over time within the life of the affected mine areas. The DEIS Appendix D Noise Projection Analysis shows existing and proposed operational locations that indicate various options of where mining equipment will be placed. Parks requests a clarification on how and why these locations were selected to be part of the noise projection analysis and if these operational equipment locations would move throughout the life of the mine affected area. State Parks is also requesting an explanation and a conceptual figure or figures showing the expected active mining locations and reclamation areas over time to fully understand the proposed action,” said Regional Director of Finger Lakes State Parks Fred Bonn.
“I’m concerned about the water runoff. I understand all the means. The county needs gravel. The towns need gravel. Villages need gravel. But, we don’t need something that’s gonna come down off the hill and destroy our homes, possibly lives the way the weather’s being.” said Schuyler County Legislator Phil Barnes.
“Every time we hear that small fleet of trucks rumbling next door to us, with all of their digging and scraping. It serves as a reminder that the good folks at Padua Ridge are back playing their dangerous game of Jenga with our homes,” said neighboring homeowner Elise Bowman.
“I came here to retire. I plan to die here. I do not want to die to the sound of heavy equipment. I live less than one hundred yards from the pit and there are some people here that live even closer,” said Schuyler County resident Alice Mcalvey.
We reached out to It’s Green Now for comment on the project, but they told us they aren’t responding to media requests.
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