Sen. Judy Schwank opposes the proposed Kutztown Quarry expansion on Hinterleiter Road. She was among 17 people who testified at a Department of Environmental Protection District Mining public hearing on Aug. 10, at the Kutztown Middle School.
“I talked about the impacts of a possible increased draw down of water as a result of the quarrying operation expansion of the quarry. My concern is for groundwater resources,” said Schwank. “This is a community that has done a lot of work trying to keep their groundwater protected, their wellheads protected. Land use restrictions are in place as a result of the work of the borough has done. They’ve done outstanding work on Saucony Creek in terms of trying to protect that water resource. This is an issue that is of great importance here.”
“I don’t think this is just a matter of we don’t want development. I think residents are concerned about water quantity as well as quality. I think they have a right to be,” continued Schwank.
The new owner of the Kutztown Quarry, New Enterprise Stone & Lime Company (NESL), has proposed to expand their mining operation. The current DEP permit for the Kutztown Quarry allows for the discharge of mine water into the Saucony Creek at a maximum rate of 5,000 gallons per minute or 7,200,000 gallons per day.
“At this rate of discharge for the mine water, the quarry would be withdrawing (pumping out) approximately 69 percent of the available groundwater recharge from our local aquifer,” said Lisa Ladd-Kidder, Kutztown resident and Kutztown Planning Commission member.
Recently, NESL applied for a revision to their DEP permit asking to increase the amount of discharged mine water to a maximum rate of 8,000 gallons per minute or 11,520,000 gallons per day.
“If this increased rate of discharge for the mine water is permitted, the quarry would be withdrawing (pumping out) more than the amount of groundwater available in our local aquifer, which is estimated to be 10,400,000 gallons per day. The water supply for Kutztown Borough and the surrounding areas (Kutztown University, Lyons Borough, Maxatawny Township and East Penn Manufacturing Corporation) is taken from the same local aquifer,” said Ladd-Kidder.
There were about 50 people in attendance from both Kutztown Borough and Maxatawny Township at the public hearing.
“It was a very satisfying meeting because people from the communities came together to confront a real problem,” said Ladd-Kidder. “I am most grateful to the persons who attended the DEP Public Hearing and who spoke of the real risks to our local aquifer and to the aquatic ecosystem of the Saucony Creek.”
Of the 17 people who rose to speak, almost all spoke in opposition to the expansion of the Kutztown Quarry, she said.
Ladd-Kidder said some of the risks mentioned included a lowering of the water table in the area, an interruption in the recharge rate of the aquifer, pulling more chemicals from the Topton plume into the aquifer, degrading the creek banks, interrupting the breeding sites of the Brown Trout, etc.
Schwank said, “I think we need to wait, go through the process. DEP certainly took all of the testimony that was offered. We had some expert witnesses. It was pretty neat to have professors of geology and science who came from the university, who are also residents who would be impacted, who testified. Wait and see what happens as a result of that.”
“The Borough has made it clear that they are not in support of this expansion and I think that I have made it clear too that I just don’t think it is in the best interest of the natural resource, the most precious of natural resources, our water,” said Schwank.
