Poor track record for mining firm

Ellwood is a residential neighborhood of 29 lots. There is a road with homes on both sides, families, gardens, children, pets and wildlife. But we are zoned as rural not residential. Rempel Brothers Concrete, Inc., is a 65-acre gravel mining operation that wants to expand out to their borders (minus 100 feet) and excavate another 100 acres, about 10 million tons. Their property and Ellwood neighbors’ property lines meet.

January 4, 2011 6:05 pm

Ellwood is a residential neighborhood of 29 lots. There is a road with homes on both sides, families, gardens, children, pets and wildlife. But we are zoned as rural not residential.

Rempel Brothers Concrete, Inc., is a 65-acre gravel mining operation that wants to expand out to their borders (minus 100 feet) and excavate another 100 acres, about 10 million tons. Their property and Ellwood neighbors’ property lines meet.

The Island County Comprehensive Plan states that “prior operation and performance history must be considered …” and “… mining allowed based on performance standards”

Besides putting a road right through a wetland area and clear cutting 87 acres of forest including the 100-foot buffer, here is some history:

1997 violation: Rempel penalized by Department of Ecology for failure to install pollution controls.

1999 violation: Penalized again for releasing concrete waste and not reporting it for nine months.

2003 violation: 100-foot buffer violation, lack of proper fencing, violation of reclamation slope standards; notification sent to Rempel.

2004 violation: Someone reported that Rempel possibly buried two fuel trucks and a front loader and that petroleum products had not been drained out. “Site inspection with a magnetometer confirmed that several pieces of heavy machinery including a front loader and other heavy equipment had been buried … the site manager was apparently against the burial but management forced him to do it.”

2006 violation: Notice sent to Ed Rempel in Canada as a three years later follow up to the 2003 violation notice. Still no compliance.

2006: Rempel met with the county to begin the expansion process.

This is the corporation we are entrusting our aquifer to. With a record like this I can’t believe the county even lets them continue much less expand! And an Environmental Impact Study is not going to be required.

There is a public hearing Jan. 6 at 10 a.m. in the Commissioners Hearing Room, Courthouse Annex, Application 297/08. Written comments can be given to county planning before Jan. 6.

Debbie Vrungos

Coupeville