City rallies public to battle quarry

By Iva Butler
of The Daily Times Staff

Residents living within about one mile of the Vulcan quarry received mailings Friday seeking citizen input on the quarry operation and urging them to attend a meeting about the legal conflict between Vulcan Materials Co. and the city of Maryville.

The letter states, “Vulcan has sued the city so that it can mine on other parcels beyond the one they are on as well as expanding closer to homes. Vulcan claims in its suit they can expand onto land that is zoned Environmental Conservation (closer to Montvale) and to expand closer to Court Street.”

According to the letter, “The city of Maryville has hired the law firm of Butler, Vines and Babb to defend the city. The attorneys have agreed to meet with citizens.”
The public meeting will be at 7 p.m. Thursday in Maryville Municipal Center chamber room.

Karen Smuckler is one of the founders of Citizens Against Expansion of Open Pit Mining in Maryville that organized in 1987 and drew about 600 people to a meeting to oppose expansion of the Vulcan quarrying operation. She said the organization previously worked in 2000 and 2004 to oppose quarry operations and is urging residents to attend the meeting.

Smuckler said attorneys for the city paid for the mailings that went out to 3,800 people. The intent is to get information on the case from citizens who are directly affected by the quarry and can cite examples of its impact on their property or who have opinions on open-pit mining in a residential area.

Maryville Vice Mayor Tom Taylor said that while the city’s lead attorney Bill Vines paid for the mailing, he anticipates being reimbursed later from private donations.
Also, according to Smuckler, there is new information on quarrying and development of sinkholes related to quarrying activities which can develop up to and beyond a one-mile radius, depending on bedrock underneath.