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.

What is GR 2?

Note: Ms. Rebecca Bell, the attorney who had previously represented the zoning hearing board will no longer be involved in these proceedings.  Mr. Edward Skypala will now act as the zoning hearing board’s attorney. 

SUMMARY AND CITIZEN ACTION ITEMS.

1.       A number of documents were submitted by Attorney Harris, labeled GR 45 to 51.  The most significant document and one that invites public review and scrutiny is GR 45A, the DEP May 11 pre-denial letter and GR 45, Gibraltar Rock’s response.

2.       Len Kemper of Kemper Equipment Co. was on the stand and cross examined by attorney Sagar.  This cross examination will be continued at the next meeting, August 19^th.  Many points were examined but what was most significant for this reviewer is the emerging understanding of wet abatement.  Basically, as I will attempt to show on Aug. 19^th, nothing is abated.  Rather, fine particulate matter is dissipated with a high pressure water spray which transforms a high concentration of visible dust into a dispersion whereby the dust now becomes invisible.  When the high pressure water droplets evaporate, dust is released into the air stream.  Hence the term wet abatement is misleading, as no reduction in the amount of dust has taken place.  The beauty of wet abatement from the point o view of a quarry operator is the ability to meet DEP visible dust regulations.  This writer believes that it would be more accurate to call wet abatement, dust dispersion for purposes of public deception.  

 PERTINENT POINTS

1.       The mining plan has been changed and Mr. Patankar must be brought back to the witness stand

2.       Mr. Kemper is an expert in designing and building stone crushing plants.

3.       Mr. Kemper is both the President of Kemper Equipment and operates independently as a consultant known as U.S. Aggregate. 

4.       Mr. Kemper prepared the equipment list and quarry operation plan as a consultant and prepared if for Gibraltar Rock as a hypothetical model.  The equipment presented is not a bid proposal and Gibraltar Rock is under no obligation to purchase the equipment as presented.  Consequently, so this reviewer understands, it is a waste of time to discuss the emissions from this ideal plant as it may or may not resemble the equipment Gibraltar Rock will actually purchase and operate.

5.       If Mr. Kemper sold the equipment in his proposal his gross markup would be about $900,000.

6.       The primary crusher in this class 2 proposal has a design capacity of 500 tons per hour.

7.       Many of the items in the equipment list lack specificity and can not be competitively bid.

8.       If Gibraltar Rock does not meet air quality standards, that would spell trouble for the equipment manufacture, hence part of the Kemper proposal is a guarantee that air quality standards will be met.    

The next GR 2 meeting is August 19, 2004 at the New Hanover Township Building, 7:00 PM.