Objections to the proposed aggregate quarry in Putnam County are to be expected. Who wants to live next to a quarry? The imagination conjures clouds of dust, water contamination, and deafening blasting.
The elephant in the room is that we all depend on what quarries produce: roads, sidewalks, walls, and buildings. Putnam local governments, businesses, and residents have long trucked in the rock that keeps our county humming. Like me, I doubt many of us give much thought to where it comes from or who lives nearby.
The good news is that technological advancements mean that well-run, modern quarries are not the quarries of our imagination or reruns of older quarries in the region. As was explained in great detail by the company (Lannon Stone) at the recent open house at The Plaza, contemporary techniques keep dust levels far below legal thresholds and blasting will last less than one second, two or three times per month — and always during the week and daylight hours.
The Georgia Environmental Protection Agency has reviewed the quarry proposal. Standard permitting and monitoring are required but the application is compatible with the agency’s proximity rules. Indeed, the company maintains that no other site in Putnam County combines high-quality rock and a location that meets state and local proximity standards.
To proceed, the property must be rezoned from Agricultural – mostly timber at present – to Industrial. The applicant will come before the Planning & Zoning Commission and then the Board of Commissioners in March. Only about 10% of the 917-acre property will be mined, as the rest of the tract does not contain suitable deposits. The remaining land will be left as is, we are told.
I am keeping an open mind about the quarry application. I have been impressed by the company’s willingness to address concerns of neighbors (e.g., commit to drilling wells on the tract to monitor any water pollution – said to be highly unlikely – pay 100 percent of any damage to neighboring wells – also said to be highly unlikely – and form a residents’ council to keep neighbors informed and involved).
Some people say, “They just want to make money!” and “They just tell you what you want to hear.” So far, I see nothing to think we are being misled. Company representatives stress that excess dust and noise are liabilities for their business and cost them money to address. Therefore, they invest in technology that minimizes the problem at the source: good for the environment, good for the community, good for business.
The quarry projects up to 20 jobs on-site (paying $25+ per hour), plus another 50 or so jobs the economic activity will support (e.g., trucking). The company expects to pay about $330,000 a year in property taxes.
“Please repave my road” is a common request to local governments. Having an aggregate quarry in the county (along with the new asphalt plant already in the Eatonton Industrial Park) would significantly lower our cost of materials. If we do not want these benefits, and do not want this quarry, let us be sure that we are rejecting it based on the facts.
One critic of the quarry told me that they refuse to attend the open houses (a second will be held at the county administration building on February 26), but everyone needs to keep an open mind. Go to the open house, listen to the representatives, and ask tough questions. Let us weigh the pros and cons of this specific quarry, not the quarries of our imagination.
Richard Garrett Putnam County District 2 Commissioner Dear Editor,
Some 14 years ago the sign read: “NO QUARRY – NOT EVER!”
There was an outpouring of public opposition, and the Putnam County Commission, then chaired by Tom Thompson, voted to deny the application for a stone quarry at the intersection of Dennis Station Road and Twin Bridges Road. Will the current application suffer the same fate? I, for one, will vote against the current application.
While the 600-page application from Putnam County Stone is new, the concerns remain the same as they were 14 years ago. The public is concerned about noise, dust, deterioration of roads, and erosion of property values. Apart from these general concerns, there are potential violations of the County Ordinances, specifically 66-161 (c), general nuisance, and 66-165 (d), effect on neighboring properties.
A more troubling issue, for me, is the lack of transparency in this process. In September of 2024, Weyerhaeuser subdivided the property; splitting off 46 acres (parcel 081-044001), which would have made the property within 1.7 miles of Lake Sinclair, a violation of the county ordinance.
Georgia Power has installed a substation capable of transmitting 30 megawatts – just enough to supply the stone-crushing machinery. The county is scheduled to repave a portion of Dennis Station Road using a LithTech reinforcing material to accommodate the proposed 130 trucks of stone per day. An open records request revealed that in October 2025, the director of the PDA sought to circumvent a pending rezoning moratorium by having the PDA take ownership of the quarry property and transfer it back to Weyerhaeuser after the moratorium was lifted.
Who knew what, and when did they know it? Proponents of the quarry cite jobs and tax revenues as positives. The application says there will be about 15 permanent jobs, plus a number of “truck driver” jobs. Will any of these workers live or pay taxes in Putnam County? The application estimates about $156,000 per year in property tax. This is trivial compared to the $12 million per year now collected in Putnam County. The application estimates about $82,000 per year in sales tax. This is not additional sales tax since the County will collect taxes on aggregate sold in Putnam County, whether it comes from a Putnam quarry or elsewhere. Further, this would be trivial compared to the $5 million per year of sales tax now collected.
Will the Planning & Zoning Commission or the Board of Commissioners vote in favor of the residents or for a small increase in tax revenue?
Steve Hersey Putnam County District 3 Commissioner