(Littleton, Massachusetts) -- Seeking to upgrade its 50-year-old rock crushing plant, Aggregate Industries is requesting approval from the Planning Board to relocate its operation from the street to a site closer to the quarry.
At the same time, the town is interested in creating a positive outcome when the company eventually closes down its quarry and leaves the town with a huge hole, said Planning Board member Rich Crowley.
AI will be making a third trip before the board, Crowley said, but many smaller issues were addressed at a joint meeting between the company, the selectmen, Conservation Commission, Board of Health and Appeals Board last week.
Crowley said plant abutters on White Tail Way wanted to be assured that noise, dust and view would not be impacted negatively by moving the crushing operation from Ayer Road to a site closer to the residences.
The company, represented by Hancock Associates, a civil engineering and surveying company in Chelmsford, said Aggregate wants a “partial upgrade and replacement of aging equipment” with “new material processing equipment within the quarry and site grading to manage storm water.”
“The original plant was not built to today’s health and safety standards,” the Hancock application letter stated. The site plan includes 11 acres within the quarry.
Crowley said the current crushing operation takes place along the street, at grade level, so the noise and dust “travel along the ground” at grade level. But he said AI intends to move the heavy-duty equipment deeper into the quarry to mitigate the effects of the trucking and crushing operation.
“They are making every attempt to work with the town, and we with them,” said Crowley.
He said AI has provided the town with aerial photos of what the new operation would look like from various streets, as well as environmental studies.
Crowley said site improvements include moving the street-side equipment down to a 40-foot wide “ledge” or cut into the side of the quarry. Also, AI plans to truck the rock deep inside the quarry to the ledge for crushing so that the noise and dust will be contained in the hole. He said there is already a 40-foot tall berm or earth barrier that further cuts down on the noise and dust as the company works its way through the town permitting system.
Crowley said the Planning Board has a consultant that will study the AI documents and maps and report back to the board.
“AI will do a study and provide a report, and our consultant will provide an engineering report to the board with a determination at the board’s next meeting,” said Crowley.
Crowley said new technology that AI plans to use is effective in reducing the noise of screening the crushed rock.
“The piles that are in greatest demand will be located closest to the street, while those in the least demand will be nearer White Tail Way,” said Crowley. “Long-term, they are going to plant trees around the pile to screen the whole operation from the residents.”
Crowley said the selectmen want to work with AI on an eventual plan, “20 to 100 years from now” when the quarry is used up and the town has a huge quarry left.
The selectmen are putting a committee together to work with AI on the “closure scheme,” Crowley said.
“All quarries have closure plans,” he said.
By Betsy Levinson
Source: http://www.wickedlocal.com/littleton/news/x1090838655/Rock-crushing-operation-seeks-equipment-relo