Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Quarry Deis topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Clark County to join regional comments on Skamania quarry DEIS, flags bridge and haul‑route impacts
Summary
Clark County Council agreed to sign onto a joint draft comment letter on a Skamania County quarry DEIS, urging expanded analysis of haul‑routes and urging attention to the condition and capacity of the Highway 14 West Campus Slough bridge.
The Clark County Council voted to sign onto a joint set of comments addressing the draft environmental impact statement for the proposed JL Stordahl & Sons quarry in Skamania County, emphasizing the regional consequences of increased truck traffic and the condition of the Highway 14 West Campus Slough bridge. Councilors and staff said the county’s concern is not the quarry decision itself but whether the DEIS adequately accounts for impacts that extend across county lines.
"Because project‑generated truck traffic, air emissions, noise and transportation impacts extend into Clark County, those impacts should fully be analyzed," said Renee Tikash, conservation director for Friends of the Columbia Gorge, urging the council to support broader review. Deputy County Manager April Firth told the council staff was neutral on the project but recommended cautionary language about the bridge deck on Highway 14. Public Works Director Ken Later noted the proposed haul route relies on Highway 14 as it enters Clark County, which supports a neutral county stance focused on infrastructure impacts.
Council discussion centered on timing and whether Clark County should submit its own tailored letter or join the multi‑jurisdictional comment. The joint comments were due the next day; Chair Marshall summarized that the joint letter largely captures Clark County’s concern about the West Campus Slough bridge and directed staff to use item 2.3 (the Slough bridge language) as the basis for any county‑specific letter if needed.
The record cited an estimate in the draft EIS of about 500 trips per day from the site, with 80% of those projected to head west into Clark County — a frequency councilors characterized as material to traffic, safety and infrastructure wear. "We're looking at a truck every 1.2 minutes," Chair Marshall said, urging the council to ensure the final EIS analyzes downstream routing, school transportation impacts and cumulative effects on public safety and emissions. Councilors asked public works to craft concise, Clark County‑specific language and to coordinate with other agencies on the joint comment.
The council agreed to sign on to the multi‑jurisdictional comments and asked staff to prepare and file Clark County‑specific wording focused on the Slough bridge and corridor reliability if time permitted.
