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Residents say proposed mine near Elberfeld shakes homes, urge attendance at county hearing
Summary
Residents told the town board that recent mine activity approaching Crescent Road has rattled houses and raised safety and property concerns; officials said the site’s floodplain designation triggered county review and encouraged residents to attend a Ward County special-use hearing on the 27th.
Residents expressed alarm at a proposed mining operation moving toward the outskirts of Elberfeld, saying recent activity has caused shaking and damage to homes.
A local resident told the board, "the mine is over 3 miles away from us right now, and it shakes the walls of our house," and urged officials and neighbors to follow the upcoming county hearing. The resident said their household sells honey on Crescent Road and that the mining activity had become noticeably disruptive.
Chair said the mine proposal is before the county because part of the property lies in a floodplain, which triggers a special-use review at the county level. Chair encouraged residents to attend the Ward County hearing set for the 27th and noted the town had submitted a letter outlining five reasons it opposes the project.
Several speakers recommended that residents review the public records on the proposal, saying environmental studies and related documents are on display at the Booneville library and that local volunteer Pam Evans has collected relevant materials. One resident pressed whether operators such as Peabody could pursue underground mining instead of surface strip-mining; board members said that technical operational questions would be addressed in the county review process and that alternative approaches could be explored but cautioned about limits of local authority.
The board advised residents that the county will inspect adjoining properties as part of the special-use process and that the floodplain status is the likely reason the developer must seek county approval. Residents repeatedly sought clarity about notification and outreach, with the board pointing to the county planning office and its social-media updates as sources for hearing information.
The county special-use hearing on the proposal was cited repeatedly as the next formal opportunity for residents to present concerns and for county officials to rule on the application; the board urged those concerned to attend and to review the documents held at the Booneville library before the hearing.
