A Special Exception to mine sand and gravel that is not only better for the environment than the current situation, but also good for anne arundel county
THE FACTS: 2882 Patuxent River Road Sand & Gravel
A basic and Essential activity making an important contribution to the economic well-being of the State and nation
a critical need for sand and gravel in anne arundel county
Anne Arundel County has had multiple active mines in the past, ensuring healthy competition for minerals.
Now, one company has a monopoly on sand and gravel production.
The cost to purchase sand and gravel in Anne Arundel County is 2-3x more expensive than surrounding counties.
This situation has led to County residents and businesses having to import sand and gravel from sand and gravel mines near the Delaware-Maryland border, at a grave cost to our air quality and the environment.
The environmental impact from a local monopoly
Mining sand and gravel uses the same equipment, with the same labor costs, yet sand is 2-3x more expensive here. At a $400 per-load material price difference, it is more economical to send a dump truck 50 miles east, purchase sand at the Delaware border, and drive 50 miles back west back to Anne Arundel County. The environmental impact from this: a dump truck averages 5 mpg, over 100 miles, burn 20 gallons of diesel fuel for the round trip. One gallon of diesel fuel releases 22 pounds of carbon dioxide. So, one round trip to buy sand at the Delaware border releases 440 pounds of carbon dioxide. One mature tree captures 50 pounds of carbon dioxide per year. Putting it all together, ONE round trip to buy sand from other counties offsets the carbon captured by 9 mature trees in a year.
Who is brandywine aggregates?
Brandywine Aggregates is solely owned by two local construction companies, Jones of Annapolis and Patuxent Materials. Between them, they have been serving Anne Arundel County residents and businesses for over 70 years. The operation serves Anne Arundel County residents for their personal use, in addition to local excavators, concrete and asphalt manufacturers, landscapers, environmental restoration contractors, utility companies, marine contractors, roofers, septic system installers, and home builders.
Contrary to some rumors, Brandywine and its principals are not related to, and share no involvement with, any other existing mines in Anne Arundel County.
Brandywine has six employees who live in the community. County jobs are at risk if this new location cannot be opened.
a hearing officer’s decision inconsistent with both the law and previous decisions.
In March, Brandywine’s special exception was denied by the County’s Administrative Hearing Officer.
The same hearing officer approved a new mining area in a 2016 special exception decision that was located both in a Priority Preservation Area and Rural Legacy Area, but denied Brandywine’s application based on its location within the Priority Preservation Area.
The Priority Preservation Area is a product of The Agricultural Stewardship Act of 2006 in order to provide an opportunity for the State and Couny to better target preservation funds, essentially giving owners of land within the PPA an easy path to sell preservation easements. There is no requirement that an owner must sell an easement to the State or County simply because the property is located in the Priority Preservation Area. The County Planning and Zoning Department’s insistence that Brandywine sell an easement rather than use the property should concern all citizens who value private property rights.
The same hearing officer approved a new mining area on Sands Road, a road that is both scenic and historic and does not have wide shoulders.
The location
Patuxent River Road has had an active sand and gravel pit for the past 100 years.
The proposed location is less than 1/4 mile from Brandywine’s existing operation, separated only by a seasonal naturalist camp.
The location on Patuxent River Road meets the explicit special exception requirements for siting a sand and gravel operation: the property is zoned RA, is located on a minor arterial road and not a scenic or historic rural road. Additionally, it is not located in a Resource Conservation Area or Critical Area.
After years of research, we believe this is one of the last, if not the last, remaining property that both meets all county special exception requirements required for a sand and gravel operation and contains sand and gravel deposits. There are no alternatives.
Anne Arundel County’s sand & gravel deposits originate along the banks of the he Patuxent River. We did not place the resources here, mother nature did!
what about the forest?
After mining and reclamation with original topsoil is complete, the land will be replanted to its original condition with oversight from Maryland Department of the Environment. There is no permanent loss of tree cover like a development of homes entails. Indicative of this, the County’s Forest Conservation Act explicitly exempts surface mines.
My concern is dump truck traffic, what are you doing to mitigate it?
Patuxent River Road has been used by dump trucks for 100 years. That is not going to change, regardless of whether this special exception is approved or not. If our current operation closes without a new operation to offset the county’s needs, all of these dump trucks will be using Patuxent River Road south of 214 in addition to Sands Road, to access what will be the only permitted mine in the county.
We are currently reaching out to all concerned residents about how traffic can be alleviated. Solutions include capping the number of trucks that can use the new mine once opened, restricting dump trucks to hauling only Monday-Friday.
I am concerned about vibration, light, noise, and dust.
First and foremost, there is no blasting or explosion involved in mining sand and gravel. The operation is simple—we dig the minerals, haul them to equipment that screens the gravel from the sand and washes it. That finished product is placed in a stockpile for our customers to pickup.
Light emitted by the operation is restricted to a weigh station that is open between 7am and 5pm.
Our sound engineer has performed a comprehensive study that shows all sound at surrounding lot lines will be quieter than the maximum 65dB limit. This is accomplished by using planted screening berms along the edge of the operation.
Dust is controlled by daily watering of the site with portable water sprayers and is strictly monitored and regulated by MDE.
what happens to the property after the sand and gravel is mined?
After a portion of the property is mined of the sand and gravel resources, that area is then “reclaimed” with clean soils that originate from excavations in the County, raising the site back to it’s pre-mining elevation.
Are you on a septic system, does your house have a basement? Ever wonder where those large piles of dirt you see while you’re driving past construction sites go? These projects generate excess soils that have to be hauled to approved and regulated facilities.
This is not a rubble landfill. No trash or construction debris is used in the reclamation process.
After reclamation to the original elevation is complete, topsoil is spread and vegetation is re-planted per MDE’s guidance.
Without a county approved location to accept clean fill soils, it’s possible that unscrupulous operators will find somewhere illegal to take their soils. This is the path our County is heading if this new mine is not approved.
How will this new mine benefit me?
First and foremost, cheaper prices on any product that contains sand and gravel. Monopoly’s use their pricing power to hurt consumers. The County and its taxpayers, individuals, and businesses are paying higher prices for sand and gravel now than they should be.
As our crumbling public infrastructure needs to be replaced, sand & gravel is needed. You, the tax payer, are paying this unnecessary premium.
i don’t want this in my backyard, can’t you find somewhere elese in the county to mine?
Unfortunately, no. The County’s deposits of sand and gravel are located along the banks of the Patuxent River. There are no other viable locations to operate given current zoning, size, and setback constraints. Please don’t blame us for placing the sand and gravel here—it was Mother Nature!
what are you going to do if this is not approved?
We will never sell a preservation easement on this property or give up trying to obtain county approval. These resources are finite and sorely needed by all.