Urge better review of massive quarry near North Cascades National Park!

May 7, 2019

Thank you for taking action and asking Skagit County to better review this risky mining project proposal! Comments must be submitted online by 4:00 PM on Monday, May 13th. Read more here about the project and its potential impacts on salmon in the Skagit River, air and water quality, and nearby communities.

Please submit comments using the form on Skagit County Planning and Development Services website here (scroll to the bottom)

  • Enter your information per the form instructions.
  •  For “Proposal Name or Permit Number”, enter: Kiewit Infrastructure Proposed Marblemount Quarry (PL19-0032, PL19-0033, PL19-0047, and BP19-0070)
  • For “Comments”, enter the below comment. If you are able, please also note how this project would impact you personally — if you fish, recreate, or live in the area.

Dear Skagit County Planning & Development Services,

Thank you for accepting public comments on the Kiewit Infrastructure Marblemount Quarry that is being proposed in the heart of critical areas, at the gateway to the North Cascades National Park, nearby wilderness lands, and on parcels that are not all fully zoned for mining. 
I am concerned that Kiewit’s application for permits is out of order and misleading. At this stage, Kiewit’s application for a Mining Special Use Permit (BP19-0070) includes areas that are not currently zoned for mining (MRO). The applicant must have all areas within their application be designated MRO through the Skagit County Comprehensive Plan including for forest conversion and road construction. It is out of order to approve these permits even if they may not be MRO at this time; however, the intent is to extract rock in these areas in the future.
Please do not approve permits for this project before moving forward with a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). What will the impacts of mining and rock blasting be to nearby property owners, wildlife, and cultural resources for the Upper Skagit Tribe? What will the impacts be from 260 vehicle trips six days per week up to 100 years be on carbon and air emissions, water quality in the Skagit River for salmon and the cities that depend on it as a drinking water source, and transportation from Marblemount to Bellingham? All of these questions and more must be studied and their impacts mitigated before this project moves forward.
Thank you for considering my comment.
Sincerely,
[First and last name]