Residents in Lee County will have the opportunity to voice their opinions about the quarry that could be built on the outskirts of Opelika.
Lyn Battle, chief of external affairs for the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, confirmed to The Plainsman that a public hearing will take place.
A date and location, however, are yet to be set, according to Battle.
In January, Creekwood Resources applied for an Air Permit, which would authorize the construction and operation of a granite-crushing, screening and conveying operation, according to a statement by the City of Opelika.
Creekwood Resources also applied for insurance of a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit, which regulates sources that could discharge pollutants to water sources.
Creekwood Resources previously provided the following statement to The Plainsman after being asked for an interview:
"Creekwood Resources is committed to becoming a good neighbor and corporate citizen. We understand there are concerns, and we welcome the opportunity to address each. There are myths being generated concerning potentially harmful impacts, and we respectfully want to provide information on the facts."
In the time since the applications were filed, many residents in Opelika, Auburn and the greater Lee County area have voiced their opposition to the quarry in city council meetings, town halls and letters published in The Plainsman.
Residents' concerns range from potential pollution to the air and water in Lee County, to the certain end of Storybook Farms, a non-profit that would be forced to shut down if the quarry is built, according to the founder, Dena Little.
“I do not feel like I could provide an environment that is 100% safe for these children if this quarry gets through,” Little previously told The Plainsman. “We’re gravely concerned right now.”
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Eduardo Medina, senior in journalism, is the editor-in-chief of The Auburn Plainsman.
