Note: The following is not a verbatim transcript of the Zoning Hearing Board meeting; it is simply one person’s summary of the major points made by those involved in the hearing process.  For that reason, quotation marks are not used unless a direct quote was recorded.  For information about obtaining an official ZHB transcript, contact the New Hanover Township office.

The meeting began with the introduction of Dr. David Gold, Economic Geologist as the next witness of township attorney Julie Von Spreckelsen.

Dr. Gold is a retired Penn State professor who is now self employed as a consultant on geologic and quarry issues. He is presently doing work for the US Geologic Survey. He has consulted for four local quarry owners on quality control and pit design.

Gold next explained economic geology as a survey of the mineral deposits in a given area.  He made a distinction between low volume/high cost minerals (e.g. Silver, Gold, and Platinum) and high volume/low cost minerals (e.g. quarry rock).  He said that Pennsylvania is mainly concerned with industrial minerals.  He then said that these industrial minerals, which are high volume/low cost minerals, are affected by transportation. He said that for every 30 miles you transport industrial minerals, the cost doubles.  That’s why companies like Gibraltar Rock need so many quarries located close to roads and building projects---the farther they have to travel, the less money they make on the minerals.

Gold stepped us through many of the more relevant papers he has written on quarrying and economic geology from his more than 100 papers.

Gold noted that he had participated in four quarry hearings with interest in: contamination of well water, sand and gravel reserves, contested development of gypsum mine, and a proposed quarry extension.

Ms. Von Spreckelsen entered him as an expert witness in economic geology.

Mr. Stephen Harris, attorney for Gibraltar Rock cross-examined Gold on his qualifications.

Harris asked Gold to list the quarries and companies he has worked on/for.  He named, among others: New Enterprise Stone and Lime Company with the Ashcom, Roaring Springs, Tyrone Forge, Union Furnace, and New Paris quarries;  HRI, Inc. with the Brooks Mine, Sandy Ridge, and Salona quarries; Hanson Company with Curtain Gap, Valley Quarries, and Hagaman Rock quarries.

Gold said that most of his work is with crushed rock or aggregate, including concrete.

Harris, while citing Gold as a distinguished geologist, suggested that Gold’s background in economic geology wasn’t as practical as it was educational.

The board accepted Gold as an expert economic geologist.

Ms. Von Spreckelsen began her case.

Gold explained that he reviewed the reports from Alan K. Stagg Gibraltar rock’s witness on “Economic Geology.” He also reviewed Stagg’s testimony (beginning October 2, 2002) and maps developed by EarthRes and others for GRI. He also reviewed GRI’s application to DEP.

Gold explained that his plan was to understand what minerals that lie below the proposed quarry and how they are organized.  He said that Stagg’s data wasn’t as thorough as he would have liked, so he supplemented it with additional studies conducted by his staff.  He presented exhibit T48, which was a map produced by EarthRes, but with supplemental information added to it.

Over the course of the next hour, Gold explained what he had done to show fractures, incline, and positioning of the rock.  He explained that he reviewed the borehole samples that were dug by GRI.

Gold also noted that his work was done (in part) to assess the slope stability of the pits and the conduits for ground water.

Gold spent some time explaining the difference between rock that is worth mining and rock that isn’t.  He showed diagrams where the slope of the rock was plotted with this good and bad rock shown.

Next month we’ll hear some of his conclusions.

The meeting was adjourned.  

See Also:
Summary of the previous meeting (Sept. 30, 2004)