Planning commission flags major gaps in CG3 mine site plan, asks for water, traffic and safety data

Schofield Planning & Zoning Commissioners spent the bulk of their Aug. 1 meeting reviewing a site-plan application from CG3 LLC for surface-mining facilities within town limits. Commissioners and residents pressed the applicant to supply engineering detail that the commission said is required before the town can forward the plan for final action.

Chair opened the session by describing the review process as iterative: "It's our job to go over them and find these efficiencies like we're listing today," the Chair said, describing the meeting's role in identifying deficiencies that must be corrected before any final approval. Commissioners repeatedly cited town ordinances (including an impact-assessment requirement) and asked the company to submit a formal water and sewer impact report and clearer building dimensions for every structure on the map.

Greg Hunt, the applicant's representative, said an engineering plan stamped by the state exists but needs updates and that CG3 will provide the requested reports and plan revisions. He described program-level mitigations the company intends to add to the record, including "a tank that's capable of providing fire suppression in the mine and the hydrants" and engineered sediment/oil controls that would meet required wastewater permit specifications. Hunt also estimated operations would employ "between 30 and 40 full time employees" and said the company has an earlier UDOT permit for acceleration/deceleration lanes that it intends to renew.

Residents and commissioners pressed for quantified analyses rather than broad assurances. Robert A. Cox, a resident who asked several technical questions, told the commission, "My name is Robert Acock. A. Cox," and urged the applicant to provide specific water-deed and demand detail so the town can assess whether the municipal system can support new taps. Commissioners noted the town does not allow septic service and therefore must understand culinary-water demand and whether a moratorium or tap limit would be implicated.

The commission recorded a list of specific deficiencies to be addressed: building dimensions (many sheds and the main shop need stated dimensions and a correction for an apparent height exceedance), a water and sewer impact report, a traffic/vehicle-type and truck-count analysis, documentation of the DOT access permit and any necessary revisions, engineered containment for fuel and shop wastes, a landscaping/visual buffer plan, and explicit setbacks and placement justification for the powder magazine/explosive storage. The Chair emphasized that the session was a site-plan review to identify issues, not a final decision on whether a mine may operate in the county. "We're here strictly to focus on the site plan review," the Chair said.

Next steps: Commissioners asked the applicant to submit the requested documents in writing and rework the site plan. The commission agreed to review the revised materials at a future public meeting; the town will keep the record open for written questions sent through the office email process so that replies and iterations occur transparently in public.