Torrington mining operation gets permit renewal, with conditions

The Haynes aggregate quarry on Winsted Road in Torrington.

TORRINGTON — Haynes and O&G were granted another two-year mining permit by the Planning & Zoning Commission, but with conditions aimed to address complaints from neighbors about noise and idling vehicles.

The Haynes materials quarry, a mining operation partnership with O&G Industries, has been running for more than 20 years, with trucks and machinery running from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays. The companies use the materials mined from the property for a variety of construction projects, such as roads, buildings and foundations. Every two years, the companies apply for a renewal of their permit to continue that work.

A group of residents living near the property attended an April public hearing on the permit and wanted the commission to further investigate the impact of the mining operation on the environment. They also complained about tremors from blasting at the site, as well as dust, and said trucks arriving to pick up material from the quarry were lined up outside the gate before 7 a.m., bringing noise and exhaust with them.

In its permit renewal approval, the commission required the quarry owners to prohibit trucks from queuing outside the property gate before 7 a.m., and to adhere to the quarry hours that are included in the permit, on weekdays as well as Saturdays. While no blasting or transporting is done on Saturdays, materials such as gravel and stone are sold from the property.

O&G representatives said they would post signs reminding truck drivers not to line up in the morning before the quarry opens.

Regarding the complaints about dust and blasting, the commission and City Planner Jeremy Leifert ruled that Haynes and O&G's permits were in order for those activities, and that the companies were complying with them.

According to O&G representative Richard Warren, notices of blasting times are sent to residents with a phone call, and that information is available from the quarry office. He encouraged people to contact the companies at any time with their concerns.

"If we get complaints, we will investigate them," said Leifert, whose memo accompanied the commission's ruling May 24.

Regarding any environmental impacts of the quarry, the commission said it was not within its purview to conduct any such studies. "No professional testimony has been heard regarding any environmental requirements, so these are not required or needed," Leifert wrote.

Some residents wanted the commission to request an environmental impact study and have federal agencies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigate the operation to make sure it's safe. But because it is an allowed use under Torrington's zoning regulations, an environmental impact study isn't required, Leifert said.

During the public hearing in May, Leifert said the commission was limited on what it could enforce.

"We have a lane that we have to stay in, as a municipality, and there are certain procedures we have to follow," he said at the time. "We don't have the authority to get information on those tests, things like that; we have a set of regulations to follow on a local level, and if there's a different agency that monitors what comes out of that mine, it's not our purview, it's theirs."