Residents warn of springs and karst risk as TDEC permit advances; commission votes to send letters to state

Residents from the Beech Grove and Gosburg areas told the Coffee County Commission they fear a proposed quarry and associated retention ponds known as the Watterson Lakes project could damage springs, sinkholes and groundwater that supply nearby homes and farms. After public comment and discussion, the commission voted unanimously to ask the county attorney to send letters to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), the governor’s office and local state legislators expressing concerns and requesting coordination.

Sid Sandstrom, who said he had sent commissioners a packet on the application, described karst terrain and sinkholes near the site and warned of “irreversible” environmental effects if the site were excavated. He said the application described up to 175 feet of limestone on a 60-acre…