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Fallon County discusses future of Gatske pit, scoria supplies and permitting
Summary
Commissioners and residents reviewed the status of the county’s Gatske spoil pit, discussed remaining scoria reserves and whether to re‑permit, expand or reclaim the site. Staff said county records and a survey are needed to confirm permitted acreage and remaining material.
Fallon County commissioners spent the opening portion of their meeting on the long‑unused Gatske spoil pit, weighing options to re‑permit the site for additional scoria extraction or to close and reclaim it.
A resident reported that Brian Batcher had recently dropped spoil at the location and said county staff had earlier inspected the area to find permit boundaries. Staff and attendees said the original permit references 40 acres and was issued in August 2000, but they were uncertain how many cubic yards of material remain or how much scoria has already been removed. "There's supposed to be 40 acres there," one speaker said during the discussion.
Engineering and road staff said the county needs a current survey and materials testing before deciding whether to expand the permitted area, move operations to a different hill, or close and reclaim Gatske. One figure mentioned as an engineering planning number for overburden was about 8,000 cubic yards, but staff cautioned that estimate was not verified on site.
Commissioners asked staff to pull county permit records, have an engineering firm (Bros Engineering was mentioned) measure and sample remaining material, and determine whether the state Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) would require a new permit or a reclamation plan if the pit has been exhausted. Participants also discussed the tradeoffs between keeping a local pit available to save hauling costs and the expense of permitting and reclamation.
Next steps: staff will search county and DEQ permit records, schedule a survey/stakeout to locate the original permit boundaries and report back with measured volumes and a recommendation on whether to pursue re‑permitting, expand a nearby site, or proceed with reclamation.
