Dear Editor,
In the March 4 edition of The Eatonton Messenger, and the article “Rocky road remains for quarry plan,” Mr. John Cross, co-owner of the proposed quarry, is quoted as saying that “his goal is simple: answer questions and earn trust.”
However, many unanswered questions remain. Let’s examine the content of Mr. Cross’s answers, and then you can decide on the question of trust.
1. Mr. Cross said, “The project has been years in the making …” A quarry proposal was years in the making, yet the citizens were first informed by a legal ad in The Eatonton Messenger on Jan. 29, 2026.
2. According to The Eatonton Messenger, “[Mr. Cross] estimates the effort is about “40% of the way through the process,” so far completing drilling, environmental reviews, traffic studies, pump tests, and noise and vibration analyses.” He emphasized, “We’re still doing this analysis just to see, is it viable? If we run into a fatal flaw at any point in the plan, we’re out of here.” So, Mr. Cross doesn’t yet know the full environmental impact of his proposed quarry.
3. Mr. Cross dismissed the issue of water impacts by merely stating that quarry co-owner Hans Dawson has paid for damage to wells near his other quarry sites.
On this proposed quarry site, the two perennial creeks, wetlands, and reservoir that flow into Lake Sinclair were not addressed. Why risk damaging our wells and precious drinking water?
4. Mr. Cross stated that increased traffic in the immediate area will be improved by “widening portions of the roadway near the site ...” Widening Dennis Station Road would not alleviate the heavy truck traffic caused by the 160 (320 round-trip) dump trucks per day. I recently counted 23 log trucks in the southbound lane, effectively blocking traffic. Even with the quarry company’s proposed addition of “on-site truck waiting” and “an acceleration lane,” the road will remain dangerous. A local school bus driver called the road “an accident waiting to happen.”
5. The $334,000 in estimated local tax revenue will not cover road repairs caused by the increased truck traffic. Also to consider, Putnam County is a destination-based sales tax state. Putnam County receives sales tax only when material is delivered to our county, not when shipped out of the county. Mr. Cross doesn’t provide the basis of calculation for the $334,000 in estimated taxes.
6. Mr. Cross mentioned job creation. The 15 new jobs the quarry might create are simply not worth sacrificing our quality of life.
Georgia Power’s toxic ash ponds are near the proposed quarry site. Quarry blasting near ash ponds could pose significant risks, which worries many residents. The quarry company has failed to address the ash ponds.
Quality of life is also missing from the conversation, and residents remain convinced that a quarry will irreparably harm their peace and overall quality of life. The quarry company emphasizes that they’re committed to being a “good neighbor.” However, it’s clear that residents don’t want a quarry as a neighbor.
Citizens showed up in record numbers at the March 5 Planning & Zoning meeting to communicate just this.
Putnam County residents insist that Dennis Station Road is not a suitable location for a quarry — not in 2011 and not now. Even based solely on economics, the benefits are minuscule relative to the loss in property values.
When added to the significant environmental risks, it is clear that a quarry is a BAD IDEA.
What is Putnam County’s full potential? Let’s stop the rock quarry and find out!
Sincerely, Miriam Hatcher, Putnam County