Pennington County planning commission recommends denying sand-and-gravel mine near Box Elder

The Pennington County Planning Commission on June 23 recommended denying mining permit COMP25-0001, which would have allowed 63 Industries LLC to operate a sand-and-gravel extraction site near Box Elder.

Planner Cody Saxon told the commission staff recommended denial because the proposed operation "is not in harmony with the existing land use and future land uses," lacks adequate access and infrastructure, and has undetermined impacts to water quality. Saxon noted the site contains wetlands and lies near mapped floodplain and floodway areas; he said staff had not received an environmental assessment to verify the applicant’s claims about groundwater and wetlands protection.

The recommendation matters because the site lies inside Box Elder’s three-mile planning jurisdiction and adjacent to areas the county and city identify for residential and mixed use. Saxon also said roads that would serve the pit — described at 19 to 21 feet white-line-to-white-line — do not meet County Ordinance 14 commercial standards (32-foot paved width) and that the operation’s truck traffic and access would create safety and infrastructure questions.

The ap…