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Resident asks county to clarify oversight of Vulcan quarry restoration; county points to state and federal agencies
Summary
A resident and environmental engineer raised questions about county oversight of the Vulcan quarry reclamation and penalties, and commissioners and county staff said responsibility appears to rest with state and federal regulators while the county will follow up.
Lance Boss, a resident and environmental engineer who said he is affiliated with the Eastern Sandoval Citizens Association, asked the commission for clarity about oversight of restoration work at the Vulcan quarry on property he said is owned by Bill Gates.
Boss said ESCA and local residents “have no idea what’s going on with the restoration and reclamation” and asked who at Sandoval County is overseeing the work. He also said he believed Vulcan had incurred more than $250,000 in penalties tied to the site and asked who county staff could contact for details and oversight.
“ESCA has no idea what’s going on with the restoration and reclamation,” Boss said during public comment. He asked whether county staff could provide a point of contact or direction on the settlement agreement and on county costs such as maintenance of Camino Manzano Road and site access.
The county manager responded that the New Mexico Environment Department and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are the regulating agencies he believed are overseeing Vulcan’s restoration work. The manager said the county would “look into it.” Commissioner Brock noted the county maintains an annual meeting with Vulcan and Mount Adams and that county staff have repeatedly visited the site.
Commissioners and staff said the county has tracked the project and will continue to follow up, but they also cautioned that some enforcement and remediation responsibilities fall to state or federal regulators. No formal action or new enforcement authority by the commission was taken during the meeting; commissioners asked staff to follow up with relevant agencies and to report back.
Boss asked the commission for an identified county contact and for confirmation on penalties and county costs; commissioners directed staff to investigate and to provide updates in future meetings.
