The Snoqualmie Sand and Gravel Co., operated by Glacier

Northwest, and owned by Taiheiyo, USA Inc., a Japanese-owned,

multimillion-dollar cement conglomerate, operates

on land leased from the Weyerhaeuser Co. Glacier N.W. is applying for a

revision of its grading permit to begin hard-rock mining. This application is

now being reviewed by the Department of Development and Environmental

Services.

Under this “revision” they will explode up to 75,000 pounds of

ammonium nitrate and fuel weekly in an area over several aquifers that supply

water to the residents of the city of Snoqualmie. One of these

aquifers, which will be between 1 to 3 feet from the mine floor during the wetter

time of the year, discharges approximately 250 yards above the Tokul Creek

Fish Hatchery.

All water used and generated on-site will be “treated” by the use of

infiltration ponds that function by containing water while it infiltrates

back into the soil. The only testing of this water will be monthly checks for

pH levels and a “visual monitoring” for oil sheen.

Blasting noise will not be regulated by any King County noise

ordinance.

There are no requirements addressing vibration from blasting

on King County’s books, so they will use blast-vibration criteria from the

federal guidelines for surface coal mining.

Glacier Northwest trucks, carrying out of the site up to 500,000 tons

of rock a year, will turn onto State Route 202, which has no traffic light, and

use the Snoqualmie Ridge Parkway to access I-90.

All the operations of hard-rock mining will be performed under

the same grading permit that was issued to regulate the extraction of sand

and gravel. No new regulations or controls concerning ground water, air

quality, noise or traffic impacts will be required. Sound outrageous?

King County, in its infinite wisdom, regulates hard-rock mining under the

standards for regulating grading under its Building Construction

Standards Codes.

Diane Brace

Snoqualmie