Commissioners accept industry practice of after‑hours rock crushing if noise rules met; no new code enacted

Yakima County commissioners on Monday discussed recurring complaints about temporary, intensive rock‑crushing work at county and private mine sites and directed staff to rely on existing noise rules and permit controls rather than adopt new county‑wide crushing‑hour restrictions.

Public‑services staff explained that non‑permitted, contractor‑provided crushing jobs often involve two shifts that start early in the morning and conclude around 10 p.m.; allowing two shifts keeps projects short and economical, but creates periodic noise impacts for nearby residents. Staff noted that permitted mining operations that already have operating hours may not always have on‑site crushers and that contractors schedule crushing to meet project timing and pricing.

Commissioners and staff discussed options including requiring companies to modify permits to add specific crushing hours or to treat after‑hours crushing as subject to the county noise ordinance. Several commissioners noted the agricultural and rural context and the economic impact of requiring single‑shift crushing. County road staff said short, intensive crushing campaigns can be less disruptive overall than long, drawn‑out daytime operations.

The board’s practical guidance was to allow temporary crushing so long as it complies with the county noise ordinance (which generally limits noise after 10 p.m.) and to avoid adding blanket new code requirements that would raise costs and extend schedules. Commissioners asked staff to treat prolonged or recurring violations as enforcement matters and to provide future options if the pattern changes. No formal code change or permit modification was adopted at the session.