Potential Gravel Mine Near Vader Generates Concerns

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Citizens impacted by the proposed reclassification of two parcels of agricultural resource land to mineral resource land for the purpose of mining gravel along the Cowlitz River near Vader will have an opportunity to voice their opinion on the matter as part of an Environmental Impact Statement. 

The original State Environmental Policy Act Checklist submitted by Richard Smith of Precision Paving Plus LLC in July 2019 drew concern from many of the residents in attendance, including Dana Freeland, who owns farmland next to the property. 

“This is in a floodplain, I have pictures to show that (the subject property) has been all under water several times during my lifetime,” Freeland said. “During the time that the rock pit is opened up, you get some of that water in there and it’s going to send silt and pollution onto the properties down below.”

Lewis County Community Development Associate Planner Brianna Teitzel announced that Smith’s proposal will now require an Environmental Impact Statement. 

Teitzel addressed the Lewis County Planning Commission on Tuesday, with Freeland and other residents from various towns along the Cowlitz River in attendance. 

“(The proposal) will go through scoping, so you can comment on the scope of the environmental impact that Precision Paving Plus will have to prepare,” Teitzel said. 

John Kliem, who serves as a planning consultant to Lewis County on long-range projects, said those who have identified as parties of interest to the issue will be notified of a scoping meeting in which they can tell county officials about the issues they feel are “most important,” and should be looked at in the Environmental Impact Statement.  

“Those issues will be a requirement to be addressed (in the EIS),” Kliem said to the citizens at the meeting. “So, think carefully about what you’d like to see in that EIS and keep an eye out for that meeting.” 

The very first application for amendment submitted by Smith in Dec. 2017 cited a “lack of mineral resources in the area,” as the reason behind the proposed rezone. Additionally, he added the access to Interstate 5 is “ideal to serve the Centralia/Chehalis area.” 

According to Precision Paving Plus’ website, the company is described as “A professional site grading and asphalt paving contractor serving the Greater Vancouver/Portland Area.”

Lewis County’s parcel records show both parcels of land listed on the application are owned by Gene and Angela Watson, as part of a living trust, as of Feb. 26, 2020. The Watsons signed as additional applicants with Smith. 

According to a survey of the land filed with the county, a portion of the subject property is built on top of “about 13 feet below the existing ground surface to at least 60 feet in the southern portion of the site,” of gravel resources. 

Freeland’s worry stems from the land’s susceptibility to flooding and the impact land used for the gravel pit would have on the surrounding area during a flood and the close proximity of her family farm, which she and her husband Mike have farmed “for the last 60-something years.”



“Just downstream from that, is where Vader has their water intake,” Freeland continued. “They get their water from the Cowlitz River and then they treat it, so it could impact their water system, too.”

The subject property is across the river from L Rock Industries, Inc., a sand and gravel supplier for Lewis County. Scott Crossfield, a resident of Toledo, says the use of the land for mineral resources has negatively impacted his day-to-day life. 

He adds that most of the community feels the impacts of L Rock and an additional mineral resource zone would only make matters worse. 

“Right now, the noise, it’s a nightmare,” Crossfield said. “Double it, right across the river. People have started to try and just move, because they realize, ‘I don’t know if the county is going to do anything to stop these people.’”

According to Kliem, the original application submitted by Smith included enough information to be accepted, but not to form a conclusion on the project’s environmental impact. 

“We decided more information was needed through the SEPA process,” Kliem said. 

He added that the process of receiving the EIS and proceeding with the application depends on Smith, but could 

“The scoping meeting (will) maybe (take place) in the next month,” Kliem said. “If the applicant still wants to stay in the process, they’re going to be required to prepare the EIS as the scoping requirement states. How long it takes them to actually go through the process to write the EIS, I guess that really is up to them. It can take a long time, the example recently for the Skookumchuk project, it seemed like a good, solid year. 

“So, it could go quick, it could go really long, it depends on what’s the scope of the EIS. How many issues and how difficult they are to find the answers.”

Bob Whannell of the Lewis County Planning Commission says that when Smith submits an Environmental Impact Statement, the citizens of the impacted area will have an opportunity to present any thoughts.

“There will be ample time to address this during those workshops,” Whannell said. “So, this might be premature until we have all the facts before us.”