At a virtual public hearing held by the State Department of Environmental Protection on Thursday, many residents from the Forestport area opposed the construction of a quarry in the town’s White Lake area.  

In addition, the Adirondack White Lakes Association (AWLA) recently sought out and issued an independent mining report on the proposed quarry. 

Tom Sunderlin of Barneveld submitted a quarry application to a government agency in April and wrote a letter on May 25 to White Lake residents who were concerned about the proposed White Lake granite quarry.  

Sanderling did not speak at the hearing. 

More: Residents are upset about the proposed Forestport quarry

DEC stated that Sunderlin is seeking the necessary permits to operate 26.6 acres of the Life of Mine surface granite mine on the 56.5 acres owned by Red Rock Quarry Associates. The proposed mine will operate above the groundwater level, and granite mining will be carried out in an area of ​​5.2 acres. 

DEC said the extraction will be done through a combination of diamond wire saws, wire drilling, expandable grouting and micro-sandblasting methods. 

David Gibson stated that he is the managing partner of Adirondack Wild and he expressed disappointment that the application was considered complete. 

"There is too much research to be done," Gibson said. 

Gibson said that includes hydrology, dust control and engineering research. 

Joseph Foley owns property near the proposed mining operation. He told DEC that he opposed the proposal on several fronts, including the existence of bald eagles near the site and his determination that more research is needed. 

"This area is the original part of the Adirondack Park system and she should be protected," Foley said. 

Due to the large number of people who wish to speak during the hearing, comments are limited to three minutes. The hearing lasted about an hour and a half. 

Most speakers commented on various animal, water, air quality, and noise issues that they think the proposal should stop. 

The agency stated on its website that it will submit written comments to DEC on September 17. 

According to the association’s website, AWLA was established in 1981 with the goal of protecting the peace and tranquility of the White Lake, which is located near the proposed quarry. 

Louanne Cossa, President of AWLA, stated that the organization’s board believes that it is in the best interests of the community and its members to allow a third party to review mining applications and related materials to assess risks to the lake and nearby communities. 

This 59-page review was conducted by LA Group outside Saratoga Springs and discussed hydrogeology, rainwater and surface drainage, wetlands, noise, crushing operations, site visit feasibility, transportation and visits, and town finance responsibility. The review also pointed out various ways in which it believes applicants can address or improve these areas. 

Overall, the report stated that the quarry application lacked sufficient information to determine whether the proposal would adversely affect the area and its resources. 

Representatives from LA Group and Cossa spoke at the hearing on Thursday and basically read through the report’s findings. 

"The Adirondack White Lakes Association hopes that based on these findings, the application will be rejected, or at least the applicant will be required to provide all missing scientific tests before further consideration," Xhosa said in an email statement before the hearing . "Without this, AWLA expects that DEC will request a ruling hearing to file a complaint with the judge." 

Cossa stated that AWLA has not received any feedback on the report from the government or quarry applicants.  

Sanderling's letter talked about the mining license application process, the scope of the quarry project, and the "blatant misinformation" spread in multiple locations.   

The letter Sunderlin provided to Observer-Dispatch stated that the term mining is somewhat misleading in terms of the proposed quarry. In the letter, Sanderling stated that the proposed company will not excavate the ground to extract granite, but will mine the existing 60-foot x 1,500-foot granite cliff.    

Sanderling further stated that the application process is in progress, and APA and DEC have not yet signed the application. 

Ed Harris is a Oneida County reporter for The Observer. Send an email to Ed Harris at EHarris1@gannett.com.