A proposed sand and gravel pit in Berwick, Maine, is facing intense opposition from nearby residents who say the project could bring years of dust, noise, and heavy truck traffic to a residential area near an aquifer.
Town officials are now taking a closer look before deciding whether the plan can move forward.
What happened?
Under an application from Two Sisters Working Lands LLC, mining would take place on about 63 acres near Ridlon Road within a nearly 156-acre Berwick property, the Portland Press Herald reported. The project still needs town approval, and neighbors were told to expect at least 20 hauling and crushing trucks a day, six days a week, for 10 years.
After a June 25 public hearing in which more than 30 residents described worries about traffic, noise, air quality, and drinking water, the planning board voted 4-1 to request an independent third-party technical review.
The company said work would move ahead in roughly 10-acre sections before the land is restored to open fields and wooded areas. The Press Herald also reported that Sebago Technics, acting for the applicant, wrote to the planning board stating that "groundwater withdrawal or ejection to the aquifer is not proposed" and that groundwater monitoring equipment would be installed.
The plan would have to comply with local rules, including a 75-foot setback from a stream and a 60-decibel cap in residential areas between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.
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Why does it matter?
Because many nearby homes depend on private wells for drinking water, residents said any hydraulic fluid or oil contamination would be a serious risk, the Press Herald reported.
Opponents of the project also said that excavating, crushing, and hauling material could put dust, including crystalline silica particles, into the air.
The schedule would allow site activity from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and until 5 p.m. on Saturdays.
The Press Herald noted that even broad public opposition may not be enough to stop the project if it meets the town's existing ordinances. Officials may have limited authority to reject it outright.
What's being done?
The planning board is slowing the approval process and bringing in outside expertise. Director of Planning and Development James Bellissimo said the outside review will examine possible impacts involving air, water, traffic, and noise.
At the hearing, planning board Vice Chair Rick Raynes suggested using wet suppression during crushing and a wheel-washing setup at the exit.
Traffic is also drawing closer scrutiny. The Press Herald reported that Sebago Technics said the site would average about 20 trucks a day and roughly four peak-hour trips, below the state threshold for a traffic movement permit. Even so, residents have questioned whether the real-world effects could feel far greater than the paperwork suggests.
Developers are expected to answer the June 25 concerns in writing before the planning board resumes its review and schedules the independent study.
Town Manager Arthur Capello captured the situation bluntly: "I don't think we've ever had an issue getting what we need." But if the proposal complies with the ordinance, he added, "If it's an allowable use in the ordinance, the only thing the town can do is add specific conditions for the approval."
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