Dear Editor,
Hans Dawson, in his weekly paid advertisements to The Eatonton Messenger, can say anything he wants about how advances in technology will mitigate the consequences of blasting tons of rock from the earth, crushing it, and loading it into trucks.
Granite mining and manufacturing involves drilling, blasting and crushing. This process releases hazardous, naturally occurring toxins. Mr. Dawson can cite environmental regulations in place to protect us and our environment, to reassure taxpayers. We are not reassured.
For starters, the health of our lakes and drinking water is directly impacted by the health of the streams flowing into it. Federal regulations protecting the streams have just been gutted. In effect, the costs of controlling toxic bi-products of industrial processes have shifted from Putnam County Stone LLC, to everybody in the county.
So, what environmental protection regulations have been gutted?
Most directly relevant was the 1977 Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA). This used to provide for oversight of the proposed mining operations’ impacts on the environment, and ensured the costs of controlling the waste products would be borne by Putnam County Stone LLC.
However, most of the rules and regulations were just torn up. Worse, federal agencies responsible for performing any remaining oversight have been stripped via funding cuts.
But Georgia has its own environmental protection laws and water quality services, right? The Georgia Water Quality Control Act (GWQA) basicallyensures federal regulations are met. However, federal funding contributions to the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) for performance of Georgia’s own laws have also been gutted.
We should not rely on these agencies to protect Lake Sinclair/Lake Oconee from toxic waste bi-products of a granite quarry. At issue, granite deposits include a slew of heavy metals. Most common are lead, mercury, silver, antimony, arsenic, cadmium, and zinc. Each of these have cumulative, life-long, neuro-toxic effects. The granite is to be ground into gravel and hauled away, but the tailings will be piled up around the quarry.
Granite mining operations significantly contribute to water pollution through the generation of runoff that carries sediments and chemicals into nearby water sources. When granite is extracted, large amounts of rock and soil are displaced, exposing bare surfaces made highly susceptible to erosion. During rainfall or irrigation, these loose sediments are easily washed away, creating turbid runoff that flows into streams, rivers, and groundwater systems. This sedimentation not only reduces water clarity but smothers aquatic habitats, disrupting ecosystems that depend on clean, sediment- free environments. The increased turbidity blocks sunlight, hindering photosynthesis in aquatic plants and reducing oxygen levels, which are critical for fish and other aquatic organisms.
As long as it never rains, no problem, right? The water onthe ground will ultimatelyflow to the streams thatlead into Lake Sinclair.Lake Sinclair provides the drinking water for: Putnam, Baldwin, and Hancock counties. Besides the lake, anybody depending on well water should take the time to get a baseline quality test before any quarry operations start.
The only sure way to protect our environment is to deny the rezoning and stop the rock quarry. The risks are high and the rewards to Putnam County and its citizens are low. If the deal is so lopsided, why is it being considered? A quarry — especially next to Lake Sinclair on a windy farm and residential road — is simply a bad economic and environmental choice for Putnam County.
It’s not smart growth, and what’s bad for one part of Putnam County is bad for all of Putnam County.
Catherine Hemenway Siewick Putnam County