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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, November 21, 2008
Contact:
Olivia Terwilleger, Assistant Planner, 360-786-7372 or terwilo@co.thurston.wa.us
Open-House set for Mineral Lands
of Commercial Significance Designation Project
OLYMPIA
– Thurston County Long Range Planning Division will hold a Public Open
House on Tuesday, December 2, 2008 at 6:00PM regarding the Mineral Land of
Long Term Commercial Significance project which includes criterion for the
siting of asphalt plants.
The
purpose of this Open House is to explain the designation process, the proposed
amendments, and provide the public an opportunity to comment on the proposed
amendments.
As required by RCW
36.70A.130(1), a county shall review its mineral resource lands designations
and shall take into consideration new information made available.
WAC 365-190-070 states
counties shall identify and classify aggregate and mineral resource lands from
which the extraction of minerals occurs or can be anticipated. Other proposed
land uses within these areas may require special attention to ensure future
supply of aggregate and mineral resource material, while maintaining a balance
of land uses.
Concerns about the
location of gravel mines and asphalt plants emerged from an earlier effort by
the Board of Thurston County Commissioners to review and in some cases expand
existing designated mineral lands of long-term commercial significance (LTCS)
as part of a seven-year review of the Comprehensive Plan as required by the
Growth Management Act (GMA). In January
2004, the Board established an interim ordinance (Ordinance 13030) that
prohibited:
- designation
of new mineral lands
- permitting
of new gravel mining operations
- permitting
of new asphalt plants outside the rural resource Industrial zone.
The interim ordinance has
been renewed 9 times previously and is due to expire in March 2009.
The open house will be
held at the
Thurston
County
Courthouse at
2000 Lakeridge Drive SW
,
Olympia
on Tuesday, December 2, 2008 at 6:00PM. For more information on the Mineral Lands of
Commercial Significance Project go online at http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/permitting/Mineral_Lands_Task_Force/Mineral_Lands_Home.htm or contract Olivia
Terwilleger at (360) 754-3355 x5477or e-mail at terwilo@co.thurston.wa.us
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