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Clay County planning commission approves interim use permit for new gravel mine
Summary
The Clay County Planning Commission granted an interim use permit for a proposed gravel mine on a 168-acre parcel in Keene Township, with 15 conditions including wetland consultation and reclamation bonding.
The Clay County Planning Commission granted an interim use permit on voice vote for a proposed gravel mine on a 168-acre parcel in Keene Township after a public hearing and staff presentation.
County planning staff described the request as an IUP for a new open-pit gravel mine on parcel ID 17.005.2000 in the northeast part of Clay County. The site, currently used for agriculture, includes native prairie, excavated and natural wetlands, and areas mapped as resource-protection aggregate and resource-protection biological overlays.
Staff said mining would use front-end loaders and bulldozers, with material processed on site using portable screening and crushing equipment (no washing). Proposed operating months are April through December, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with crushing operations about 30 days per calendar year. The applicant estimated 2–3 equipment operators on site and 8–12 truck drivers during peak periods; dust control would use water and calcium chloride as needed. Topsoil would be stockpiled for progressive reclamation and a reclamation bond is required.
Commissioners and staff discussed environmental protections. Staff noted portions of the proposed mining area overlap with mapped wetland areas and recommended wetland consultation under the county wetland conservation procedures before any mining begins. Staff also highlighted proximity to high-quality native prairie and Greater Prairie-Chicken habitat and recommended measures including minimizing truck speeds, limiting early-morning noise, contouring and reseeding topsoil, stormwater permit compliance, and coordination with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the county highway department for road maintenance.
Ian Severson, representing applicant Lauren Richards, said the company performs its own stripping and reclamation and that they have corrected past compliance issues on other county pits. He told commissioners, “We can follow [the conditions]. This is the first time we've seen them for this particular permit, but we can follow them all.”
After reviewing findings of fact and a staff list of 15 recommended conditions, Commissioner Brad moved to approve the interim use permit with conditions 1 through 15. The motion was seconded and carried by voice vote; the commission closed the public hearing and approved the IUP.
The approval is conditioned on the county-required reclamation bond, adherence to the county’s stormwater and dust-control requirements, wetland consultation and any subsequent conditions resulting from that consultation, and coordination with the Clay County Highway Department regarding haul routes and road maintenance. Commissioners noted the historical presence of nearby long-running pits and the need to consider cumulative impacts.
The commission’s action was a permit approval; no numeric vote tally was recorded in the hearing minutes and the approval was by voice vote.
