Commission approves sand-mining operation; applicant and nearby residents outline coordination needs with adjacent solar projects
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Summary
The commission approved a conditional use permit for CMC Rock LLC to mine sand dunes in the Goshen/Alberta area, with the applicant agreeing to forgo on-site crushing; nearby residents raised concerns about dust, notice and impacts on water and roads.
The Utah County Planning Commission on Oct. 21 approved a conditional use permit from CMC Rock LLC to conduct a sand-mining operation in the Alberta/Goshen area, subject to the conditions recommended by staff and with the explicit removal of a crusher from the permitted activities.
Staff said the mining application is allowed in the PC zone with commission approval and that the applicant reduced the area of disturbance during the application process. Staff also noted that the operation will be subject to state and federal regulations, including Division of Air Quality (DAQ) permitting, and that the applicant has been working with county engineering, public works, building and fire departments and the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining.
Sam Cusick, a company owner, told commissioners the site includes sand dunes that must be graded and screened to create level land for future uses, including solar development. Cusick said the proposal is to mine and market sand to local construction and landscaping customers, and to progressively reclaim land so it can be used by future developers; he estimated there are millions of tons of sand in the dunes and suggested reclamation would occur as mining progressed.
Nearby residents at the meeting raised concerns about dust, notice and water resources. One resident, Wade Garner, who said he owns land in the immediate area and represents the Alberta Water Company board, asked about mineral-rights notice and warned that dust and wind might transport sand across a wide area. Staff and the applicant said mining operations must secure DAQ permits and that controls such as water trucks and pile-height management are typical dust-control measures; the applicant said they work with DAQ and operate similar mines elsewhere in the county.
Commissioners moved to approve Conditional Use Permit CU2025-11 with the staff recommendations and to explicitly exclude crushing of aggregate material from the permitted operations; the motion passed in a voice vote. The planning division and county departments will continue coordinating DAQ permitting, road-access requirements and reclamation/closure plans as part of the permit implementation process.
