Concern over proposal for gravel pit testing

Dear Editor,

Elbow Lake leaseholders were surprised this week to receive from the DNRC a proposal for gravel pit testing in the vicinity. Surprised because (a) the proposal does not state the ultimate reason to conduct the test; (b) the comment period is short – ending on December 19; (c) the applicant is the very company (LHC) that applied for a gravel pit permit in 2017, in the same location. They faced significant opposition then – including in the pages of the Pathfinder – and ultimately chose to remove gravel from an existing pit elsewhere, rather than continuing to pursue the Elbow Lake permit.

The proposed testing site is in the NE corner of Section 20 – in a beautiful meadow directly across Hwy 83 from the Blackfoot Clearwater Game Range and the cemetery, and near the banks of the Clearwater River.

Since receiving the letter, we learned from the DNRC that they didn’t provide the reason for testing because the applicant didn’t provide it in their proposal. Yet it’s not a huge leap to guess that if the testing permit is granted and yields the results they hope for, LHC will apply for a gravel pit permit.

LHC’s 2017 proposal was for a 5 acre gravel pit to operate over “primarily” 3-6 months with an “attempt” to haul only during weekdays. It’s worth noting that LHC has a record of requesting exceptions to the days and hours of operation after a permit is granted, sometimes extending into the night and over the weekend.

Assuming that LHC plans to submit a proposal similar to the one in 2017 (which, again, is just an educated guess) they would be proposing to create noise, activity, dust, and disturbance for hours each day over the course of months. The testing site sits directly in the path of wildlife who travel daily between the game range and the river, near osprey nests and bald eagle roosts, and in the backyard of Elbow Lake residents. This is not a reasonable spot to conduct testing nor to locate a gravel pit. I’ve sent my comments to the DNRC opposing the testing site, and if a proposal is ultimately made for a gravel pit I will oppose that as well.

Comments are due not later than 5 pm on Monday, December 19, and can be made via this link: https://forms.office.com/g/qSBXjtK3Vb.

It is important, we are told, that any comments should focus on the testing proposal only (because a pit proposal has not yet been made).