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Company and quarry representatives say wells, water use and fly ash are manageable; residents remain unconvinced
Summary
Company and quarry witnesses told the board the quarry pumps ~500,000 gallons/day and Southern Concrete would use about 4,500 gallons/day drawn into on‑site tanks; the company said fly ash is handled in enclosed systems, but residents expressed ongoing water and air concerns.
Hedrick Industries and Southern Concrete witnesses addressed water, wells and fly ash during the hearing. Jason Connor of Hedrick Industries testified the quarry pumps about 500,000 gallons a day and that Hedrick has not observed neighboring wells failing as a result of quarry operations. He described the fractured bedrock hydrogeology and explained existing stormwater and wastewater permits for quarry discharge to the French Broad River.
John Bryson, president of Southern Concrete, said the proposed plant would rely on two storage tanks (about 18,000–20,000 gallons total) to meet average operational demand (~4,500 gallons/day) and that wells would be used to refill tanks slowly rather than as continuous process supply. On fly ash — a supplementary cementitious material — Bryson said inbound deliveries arrive in enclosed tankers and bag‑filter systems capture pneumatically moved dust. "Fly ash is a supplementary cementitious product...once fly ash is encased in our product ... is the best final resting place for fly ash," he told the board.
Residents remained skeptical: some said they currently measure elevated decibel and dust levels and reported long‑term vibration damage associated with quarry blasting. The board's record includes both corporate affidavits and resident observations; the board required the applicant to obtain appropriate air‑quality and stormwater permits before construction.
