Item 2A: Approval of City Council Minutes

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the body and is more harmful. He noted on the assessment of the haul road, it states that 39 tons of uncontrolled PM 10 dust would be created on the haul road per year. He added .5 tons of PM 2.5 would be created on the haul road each year. He didn’t think they could crush thousands of pounds of rock without creating dust. He said the majority of the dust is invisible. He wanted to raise public awareness about the health consequences of rock dust. He stated that rock dust is a significant health hazard. He thought there would be increased sinus and respiratory infections and there could be the development of emphysema. He didn’t think keeping the material moist would completely eliminate all the small particle rock dust that could cause health problems. Art Noxon, Eugene, stated he is a state licensed acoustic engineer in Eugene. He distributed information on the summary of his work. He said he was trying to clarify the work of the consultant for Delta, to straighten out their work and be clear about the calculations. (Copy in file). He said that DSA was not clear about the methodology, they made gross errors in the calculations and assumed the quietest noise source to be the source, instead of the loudest. He asserted they confuse and create mathematical models that don’t exist and have no foundation in the laws of physics. With regard to the memo by DSA, that addresses a new regime of noise sources that now have to be DEQ compliant, the noise from the rock will be regulated by DEQ. He noted there is as much regulation on the trenching rock as there is on the pit rock. He reported that DSA submitted a two and a quarter page memo that says nothing and they expect that to equal three quarters to one inch material they had submitted for the pit mining operation. He noted the equipment they are using for the trenching is the same equipment they are using in the pit. He said there is zero support for information provided from an engineer’s viewpoint about how the trenching operation has become DEQ compliant. He said they now have four excavators on site, twice as many as was originally proposed to be on site and no mitigation plans for it. He stated there is no basis to conclude that the mining operation will meet and comply with DEQ standards. Robert Funk, Eugene, stated his house is within 900 feet of the subject area, putting him at the impact zone, which is within 1500 feet. He added it could also be brought out to 2400 feet. He said they have 70 houses in the new subdivision. He noted they have added a substantial amount of vehicles. He said in addition to the vehicles there are trucks coming out of the quarry. He said DEQ establishes the standards but the funding they have does not allow them to enforce those decibels. He noted the area is located in FEMA’s 100 year flood zone so the water is already high. He thought the construction of the pit would last approximately two to three months. He stated EGR never stated the distance on how far the aquaclude is from the property lines. He said it shows the water table does rise. DuPriest indicated the applicant has serious problems in terms of its proof as to the quality of its rock, and the amount of noise it would cause the nearby neighborhood, and the traffic impacts and the health effects of dust. He said those are the same concerns the Lane County Planning Commission (with the exception of traffic and noise). They are important and he urged the elected officials to consider them carefully. He said the methodology of the initial noise test was for Delta to put some equipment out in the area Page 10 – Joint Elected Officials' Meeting – December 12, 2006 WD bc/m/06121/T