Clay County approves 48-acre expansion for Aspen Excavating pit after EAW

Clay County planning commissioners approved an interim-use permit to expand Aspen Excavating’s existing gravel-mining operation by about 48.1 acres on a 160-acre parcel in Holly Township, increasing the permitted mine footprint to roughly 148.2 acres.

Staff told the board the applicant completed an Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) in April and received a negative declaration for the need for an Environmental Impact Statement. The reconfigured pit would extend the mine’s life by an estimated 10 to 20 years and be reclaimed in phases to farmland and a planned pond in the northwest corner per the landowner’s request.

The county report said prior mining produced no documented impacts to neighboring wells; nearby well depths were listed at about 31.5 and 52 feet, and excavations may reach roughly 18 feet below grade. Staff noted a groundwater-appropriations permit from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) may be required if washing operations use more than 10,000 gallons per day (or one million gallons per year). Proposed operations would use crushers and screens, closed-loop water systems where possible, and stormwater basins to return wash water on site.

Conditions attached to the approval address reclamation bonding (estimated reclamation costs $500,000 to $1,000,000), control of fugitive dust (watering, calcium chloride and speed limits on site), removal of tracked mud on county roads, monitoring and control of invasive species, and consultation with the county wetlands coordinator for farmed wetlands on site. The applicant confirmed acceptance of the conditions; no public comments were recorded at the hearing. The motion to approve passed after a second and voice vote.