Prince William County Board residents have won two battles in their effort to block a proposed quarry in Nokesville, but they face one more when the county supervisors vote on the idea this summer.
The County Board of Supervisors will vote in June on Vulcan Materials’ proposal to dig a quarry on 536 acres north of Fauquier County and south of Route 28. County staff and the Planning Commission recently recommended the supervisors deny the proposal.
County planning staff and residents expressed concerns about truck traffic, water supply, noise and the environment.
“For me, it is about the character out there … and the primary access road is a two-lane Route 28 and how good is that?” said Stephen Griffin, county planning director.
Vulcan has agreed to contribute $2 million for transportation improvements and promised no trucks on Route 28 until the road is widened, said Tom Carroll, a Vulcan spokesman. A bond has already been proposed by the county that would allocate $80 million for Route 28 improvements.
“We need the road improvements without the quarry,” said Covington, who added he is concerned about infrastructure and the water supply being damaged if the quarry is built.
“We are completely dependent on well and septic out there,” said Michelle Trenum, Nokesville Quarry Commitee chair, who added residents have research to back up their concerns.
The area, considered part of the Piedmont Prairie, includes wetlands and several rare plants, said Kim Hosen, a Woodbridge representative onthe commission.
Vulcan will preserve 45 percent of the land and will continue to work with the county to show the quarry will be an asset, Carroll said.
Vulcan Materials
Quarries
» Its Manassas quarry has been open for 40 years
» It first bought the land at the center of the dispute in 1968
» It last applied, and failed, to put a quarry there in 1994
