LETTER: Neighbors stand against proposed quarry

To the Editor:

We, the residents of County Road 700 South, ask for your help to investigate or at least bring to the public’s knowledge of the upcoming plans to rezone 200 acres of farmland held by Hayman Holdings LLC. Multiple parcel numbers starting with 67-12-15-400-019.000-017 and ending with 67-12-22-100-003.004-017 are all in question. It was hard to have a clear understanding of the area in the Planning and Zoning meeting.

We believe the rush to rezone this land is largely driven by economic interests — developers see the potential for new projects and commercial ventures. But once that CO2 is pumped underground by the POET Ethanol Plant, the fate of this land changes dramatically.

This carbon storage project isn’t just a noble environmental effort — it will have legal implications that control what can and cannot be done with that land in the future. After the CO2 is stored, zoning regulations around the area will shift based on environmental safety guidelines.

Is the rush to rezone the land due to POET Ethanol Plant preparing to store their CO2 in the ground and once that happens that land will not be able to be rezoned for natural resources? We look for answers.

Our story runs deep — as deep as the quarries that surround us. As residents of Putnamville and Cloverdale more than 50 families call the rural country road their home.

Studies show that areas surrounding quarries can experience a significant decline in air quality, higher levels of particulate matter and even groundwater contamination. Although the cost was high, we had Reelsville water run down this road over 25 years ago due to the stone quarry blasts draining our wells. But the livestock and wildlife still live off the water and springs that run through the surrounding land. It is not just about the land — it’s about health impacts on families and the ecological balance that we’ve worked so hard to maintain.

Our walls echo the persistent clatter from five active stone quarries, and our bodies bear the burden of an environment clouded by dust pollution. However, perhaps the most concerning aspect is the stone dust itself, carrying with it fine particulate matter — namely, PM10 and PM2.5. These tiny particles find their way into our lungs and bloodstream, leading to recurrent health issues.

Our little community is not an exception — many among us grapple with illness frequently already. And it’s not just us; our children, our farm animals are all enduring the effects of this silent nemesis.

If our homes could speak, they might narrate the tale of their steady dilapidation, the cracks in their structures and the erosion of their integrity – all due to our proximity to these quarries.

It is not just the pollution or the noise and the burden of road traffic on a rural country road — there’s also water contamination to consider. How will it affect our natural springs and Limestone Creek?

The area is host to farm animals, deer, birds, foxes, turkeys, bats and many other animals and serves as a home for creatures that play a vital role in our ecosystem. With a new quarry, there are serious implications for these species. We can already see the difference between the Martin Marietta Putnam Quarry back in operation and the land in question recently being logged.

This area has a rich history of Native American tribes that lived here and thrived on these lands for generations.

We must wait until Monday Aug. 19 to know if our county commissioners stand behind us and maintain the safety, environment and quality for all of us. While there are always different viewpoints of what is appropriate, local systems and processes are in place to help balance the rights of individual landowners with the rights of their adjoining landowners.

In conclusion, while stone quarries play a vital role in our economy, we must not overlook the dangers they pose or make hasty decisions that can affect us all in the future.

Tracy Reed
Representing fellow 700 South residents