Clark County has been investigating mining operations outside of permitted hours at local quarries, and tonight, the county will hold a public forum to discuss some of them.
The county has already fined J.L. Storedahl & Sons, which operates the Yacolt Mountain Quarry, $500 for blasting after 5 p.m. — 5:22 p.m., specifically — on a weekday, Feb. 14, County Code Administration Director Mitch Nickolds said. The fine has since been paid.
The county is also investigating whether J.L. Storedahl & Sons conducted blasting on Jan. 20, which was Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and Feb. 17, Presidents Day, at Yacolt Mountain, Nickolds said.
“We are seeking additional clarity to ensure we are accurate in our determination as to whether or not violations occurred on those dates,” Nickolds wrote in an email.
If You Go
What: Surface Mining Advisory Committee public forum.
When: 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb.25.
Where: Public Service Center sixth-floor hearing room, 1300 Franklin St.
The county also investigated whether unpermitted blasting took place on Feb. 10 at Livingston Quarry or Livingston Mountain Quarry. An investigation revealed that blasting took place at 5:09 p.m. at Livingston Mountain Quarry, Nickolds said; blasting at Livingston Mountain is permitted until 6 p.m. weekdays, and no citation was issued.
J.L. Storedahl & Sons did not respond to a request for comment.
Livingston Mountain, a gravel mine north of Camas and east of Vancouver, is divided into two sites, Livingston Quarry and Livingston Mountain Quarry. Tower Rock Products, a subsidiary of Tapani Inc., owns the Livingston Mountain side, while the state Department of Natural Resources owns the other side and leases it to the county. The county contracts with Tower Rock to mine its nearly depleted side, and Tower Rock contracts with J.L. Storedahl & Sons to operate both sites.
The public forum, which will tackle concerns at Livingston Mountain, will take place at 6 p.m. in the sixth-floor hearing room of the Public Service Center, 1300 Franklin St. It is part of a series of forums hosted by the county Surface Mining Advisory Committee.
Nickolds will facilitate the forum, which will also include other county staff and mining operation representatives.
The forum will also address proposed expansion of a Cadman Inc. sand and gravel operation, according to a county news release. Redmond-based Cadman Inc. operates on Lewisville Highway in Battle Ground, according to the company’s website.
When asked for specifics, the county Community Development Department, which is managing the application process, did not respond to requests for comment. Cadman could not be reached for comment Monday afternoon.
