Sherburne County board approves scoping decision for proposed Haven Township sand-and-gravel mine, orders additional studies

The Sherburne County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 4 approved the scoping decision document for a proposed sand-and-gravel mine in Haven Township and set the topics the draft environmental impact statement will study, including expanded water-resource analysis and a new executive-summary of health impacts.

The scoping process will guide what the applicant and consultant must study in the draft EIS and was the subject of extensive testimony from county planning staff, the county attorney and outside consultants. Allison Harwood, the county's consultant from WSB, explained the scoping process to the board: “The purpose of the scoping process is to determine what will actually be studied in the draft environmental impact statement.” The board accepted a package of changes and recommendations made by the Planning Commission and added direction on several topic areas.

Why it matters: The scoping decision determines the geographic and technical reach of the EIS for a project that could operate for decades and affect local groundwater, surface water and nearby land uses. The board's choices will shape which technical studies the applicant must fund and the issues the public will be able to comment on in later review stages.

Key board directions and study requirements - Land use: The board moved the land-use category from the scoping…