It is about a gravel quarry in Dupont that has been there since the late 1800’s, so why is it a problem now?
The Pioneer Aggregates Project Proposal being considering by the Hearings Examiner in Dupont Friday, June 20 is about 14 years of gravel mining in their southeast parcel that includes dewatering the Vashon Aquifer.
Aside from the normal issues related to any project like trees, noise, light, wildlife, etc. this one goes underground and steals water from an aquifer. The active watershed boards and environmental watchdogs in the area are truly up in arms.
You see, there is only prediction here about what could happen. No one has a crystal ball or penetrative x-ray map of the underground water system. This could work or go very, very wrong. If it does go wrong, no one really knows if that damage is going to be able to be repaired.
Water Resource Area 12 (WRIA12) in Washington State includes the Sequalitchew system in Dupont, but also most of Pierce County including Lakewood, Parkland, Spanaway, Elk Plain, Frederickson, Summit Waller, South Hill, and Graham.
Ears up folks. There are lots of engineers make pretty charts and maps, but in reality, they cannot completely predict what could happen. Are 14 years of gravel worth losing our groundwater system?
In addition, the Nisqually Tribe is extremely concerned about historic and cultural sites in this particular area, part of which was an historic burial area. They have an appeal against the lack of adequate coverage of cultural implication in the Environmental Impact Statement.