Rutland Herald

Tinmouth opposes OMYA truck route

March 5, 2000
By LAURIE LYNN FISCHER
Staff Writer

TINMOUTH - Residents voted unanimously at Town Meeting Saturday to fight a mine and the trucks it would send through their rural valley.

The only divisive issue - a motion to accept money to build a community center - passed by a 2-to-1 margin.

There were no major upsets in electing town and school officers, and both the town and school budgets passed.

The most heated discussion preceded a motion to direct the select and planning boards to oppose OMYA, Inc.'s proposal to mine marble ore on Dutch Hill in Danby Four Corners and truck it through Tinmouth. It passed 88-0.

"Who wants to go from what we've got to a truck route?" asked Town Moderator Marshall Squier. "If this project happens, it would be for the rest of our lives and our kids as well. It's the quality of life here. That value, you can't put dollars and cents on."

This spring, OMYA, Inc., a subsidiary of Pluess-Staufer Industries, Inc., is seeking Act 250 approval for the mine, with hopes of opening in the fall, Squier said. Once operational, it would send as many as 40 18-wheel dump trailers per day on round trips to its Florence processing plant - approximately one every seven minutes, he calculated.

The 76,000-pound trucks would take Hoisington Cross Road onto East Road in Tinmouth and proceed to State Highway 140 through Wallingford, where they would turn north onto Route 7 through Rutland and Pittsford, according to a January project outline prepared by the company's geology department. The vehicles use "Jake brakes," loud stopping mechanisms that use engine compression, Squier said.

The mine itself would employ a grinder, pneumatic drills with dust suppressors and blasting to extract marble ore. It would run between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. six days per week, with blasting conducted three times a week between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Residents raised a number of concerns, including noise, falling property values, adverse effects on farming and sugaring, the impact of blasting on wells, and danger to motorists, pedestrians, bicycles, equestrians and livestock.

Though some wanted to stop the mine outright, others suggested alternative transport methods, such as by pipelines, conveyor belts or rail.

"I'm sure they're gonna roll down through there just as fast as they can go," said Truman Young, whose family has farmed in Tinmouth for 188 years. "I used to be able to run, y'know. Now that I'm getting older, I have to walk it. I'm not sure that I'll be able to get the mail."

Mo Burden, who has lived on East Road since horse and buggy days, said there are already several serious accidents each year on his stretch of highway. It is too narrow for two trucks to pass safely, he said. Burden also noted that he stands to lose rental income from a house that sits close to the road.

"Nobody's gonna want to live there," he said.

If property values fall as a result of truck traffic and noise, the grand list could take a hit, affecting taxes, Selectman Mike Fannen said.

The Select Board recently imposed a weight limit on town-controlled East Road and is considering lowering the speed limit, Selectman Caleb Scott said. The board also will seek legal counsel on the issue, he said.

"What we're really opposed to is being a corridor," he said. "We're not really categorically against every big truck that comes through town.

Tinmouth residents applauded Danby Four Corners resident Steve Burzon, who has devoted countless hours to opposing the mine.

"It's totally about making money, with a total disregard of people's right to peace and quiet," he said. "We know that if you're resisting this, we have a chance to stop it."

Asked where neighboring Wallingford stands, Wallingford Town Clerk and state Rep. Joyce Barbieri said the town has not yet addressed the issue. OMYA and the Wallingford Select Board will meet on March 20, she said.

Whereas Tinmouth residents were united against OMYA, there was more contention over a motion to accept money from the Tinmouth Community Fund to build a 2,400-square-foot community center onto Tinmouth Elementary School to be used by the school and the town. The motion passed 68-39.

About $410,000 has been contributed toward the $450,000 project, which would be built by volunteers, said Selectwoman Cathy Reynolds. A donor has promised to match dollar for dollar the remainder, as well as a commitment of about $20,000 worth of labor, she said.

"It kind of looks to me like you're going to ram it down their throats whether they want to look at it or not," one resident complained.

Some townspeople, mainly empty-nesters, worried about the cost of maintaining the building, estimated at $10,000 per year.

David Gilmore, whose children are grown, spoke against the center, fearing the potential need for a septic system upgrade that could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Project advocates answered that respondents favored the project in a mail survey, that they had been waiting 30 years for a new community center and that townspeople had been given a fair chance to give input.

Officials elected Saturday included town and school moderator Marshall Squier, Selectwoman Cathy Reynolds, Road Commissioner and Town Agent Hollis Squier, Lister and School Director Ruth Drachman, Auditor Kate Kruesi, First Constable Laurie Phillips, Second Constable Robert Emerick, Delinquent Tax Collector Robert Emery and Grand Juror Glenn Merrill.

The school budget of $750,023 was up 9 percent from last year. The school portion of the tax rate should remain at about $1.16. Voters also authorized the town to appropriate $118,035 for general expenses and $228,920 for highways.