Commissioners Approve Permit for Gravel Quarry

Commissioners Approve Permit for Gravel Quarry

SWEETWATER COUNTY – A new gravel quarry will be established on state land south of Granger following the approval of a conditional use permit by the Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners Tuesday morning. 

The commissioners voted unanimously to approve the permit. The quarry will be operated by Searle Brothers Construction Company.

The gravel quarry will be on a 39.9 acre tract of land located directly south of Granger, with access to the site coming from the nearby Granger Road. According to Sweetwater County Planner Kassidee Brown, Searle Brothers is working on a lease extension with the state as the conditional use permit will last a decade, but the lease with the state will sunset after two years. 

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Brown said the quarry is consistent with the county’s comprehensive plan and won’t impact nearby properties. Surrounding properties are zoned for agricultural usage as well. She also said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department were consulted to determine if any endangered species were living at the proposed site, with none found. The land will also be reclaimed and returned to its original state once the gravel pit operations conclude. She said the operation won’t impact public health or safety. A few permits from the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality are still pending, with the county working with Seale Brothers on those permits. The Sweetwater County Planning and Zoning Commission voted 4-0 to recommend approval of the permit.

Board chairman Keaton West did ask about issues or constraints on dust control, as the gravel quarry would be approximately a quarter mile south from Granger Elementary School and trucks would be entering and leaving the site throughout the day. According to Megann Toomer, the GIS specialist and planner for the county’s land use office, the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality would have more strict requirements on dust control than the county requires. She said the gravel quarry plans address dust control, but as the pit won’t involve blasting or crushing, dust isn’t as large a concern.