Residents air concerns about proposed limestone mine in Deemston
Residents who live within the vicinity of a proposed limestone mine in the Washington County borough of Deemston voiced concerns in a Wednesday night meeting about truck traffic, air quality, dust and other problems.
The proposed mine would be under a currently operating limestone quarry owned by Neiswonger Construction Inc. The mine would cover 336 acres and would be along both sides of State Route 2041, south of State Route 2024, north of Pump Station Road and north and east of Arnold Road.
The meeting, at the Deemston Borough building, was sometimes contentious. Residents who were there worried about the impact the mine would have on their homes and their quality of life. One remarked that officials had turned a deaf ear to their concerns in the past.
Amelia Benson, Southwest Regional Coordinator with the Office of Environmental Justice for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), explained that “our objective is to take what you guys are saying, evaluate it, and bring it back.”
DEP staffers were in Deemston to explain the permitting process. Neiswonger’s application is under review to determine whether it complies with state laws.
If the permit is approved, it could take 30 to 35 years to extract the lime. After all the lime has been removed, Neiswonger has said it plans to use the underground space and pillar workings as a storage facility. There is already one former limestone quarry acting as a storage facility in the Pittsburgh region – Iron Mountain, located in Butler County, a sprawling facility where historical artifacts, recordings and other items are stored.
Lauren Camarda, a spokeswoman for the DEP, said the department does not have a timeline for acting on the application.