County staff outline plan for Bourbon County–owned rock quarry at Elm Creek Lake; public questions on vibrations, dam and traffic

Bourbon County public works presented a multi‑phase proposal Nov. 14 to develop a county‑owned rock quarry on county land near the southeast corner of Elm Creek Lake (approximate intersection 140th & Fern) that staff said could supply rock and road materials for years and reduce county costs.

Public Works Director Eric Bailey said the county has lost two private quarries in recent years and proposed developing a county-owned site to save taxpayer dollars and secure long-term aggregate supplies. "We would like to develop our own rock quarry that we would own," Bailey said, summarizing goals of reducing lease payments and lowering per‑ton production costs.

Danny Hurt of Buckley Powder provided technical results from nine test drill holes and discussed blasting and vibration expectations. Hurt said phase 1 would cover about 13.36 acres with conservative average rock depths near 30 feet and estimated "1,400,000 tons of rock there." He presented modeled vibration values for initial blasts (examples included a 20,000‑ton lift with a predicted 0.26 vibration at a nearby campsite) and described mitigation tactics such as berming and controlled decking to reduce vibration impacts.

Commissioners and residents asked detailed questions about truck routing, proximity of houses, dust control and whether blasting would threaten the Elm Creek dam. Hurt and Bailey said the plan would keep work at least 100 feet from roads and about 200 feet from the nearest yard, apply dust suppression (water trucks and spray systems on crushers), and undergo state permitting and reclamation plans. On the dam concern, Hurt said he did not expect the blasting to damage the dam and that typical monitoring shows very low risk if blasting is performed within regulatory limits.

Public attendees close to the proposed site voiced support and asked for more details; one resident who said his family owns the closest house endorsed the project after speaking with staff. Commissioners suggested staff proceed with additional due diligence and permitting and some asked for a short delay to follow up with staff and landowners before any final vote.

Why it matters: A county‑owned quarry could reduce material costs (staff estimated internal production at about $3.88/ton versus private quotes of $9.30–$14.45/ton) and help the county respond more quickly to road damage events. It would also require state permits, a reclamation plan and ongoing community engagement on environmental and traffic impacts.

Next steps noted during the meeting include additional one‑on‑one briefings for commissioners, follow‑up with nearby landowners, and, if directed, initiation of permitting and engineering work.