What is it? Where is it?

A commercial rock quarry project located North East of the end of Mabee Mines Rd. The application is proposing 250 round-trip dump trucks a day, nighttime operation and an estimated operating duration over 40 years. One truck every 68 seconds, possibly 6 days, at times 7 days a week.

High-Concern Aspects of the Quarry Project

This section contains excerpts from the EIS that our group finds the most concerning and critical to communicate to the community. Each topic below will consist of a verbatim excerpt from the Application or EIS followed by our commentary and opinion. In some cases emphasis may be added to parts of the excerpt to draw attention to particularly important details.

Item #01

Ignoring West End Plan Goal #1

Section: 3.4.5 Relationship to Plans, Policies and Regulations > General Policies

Begin here page 3.4-33

In this section of the EIS the applicant lists different applicable sections of the West End Comprehensive Plan, but they have completely omitted a very important section. Read our comment below for details.

500 Trucks Comment:

General Goal #1 of the West End Comprehensive Plan is skipped entirely for discussion in this EIS. It is located on page 5 of the West End Plan and reads: General Goal 1. Primary Land Use: Land developments within the West End Community shall promote and enhance the rural and natural character of the community, including privacy, mixed residential/agricultural/forestry land uses, peace and quiet, lack of heavy traffic, clean air and water, wildlife habitat, open spaces, recreational opportunities, and minimal governmental regulation consistent with preserving community values. Suggested reading: https://www.skamaniacounty.org/home/showpublisheddocument/15517/638723634858370000

Item #02

Cape Horn Trail Crossing - Ahh, NBD!

Section: 3.4.2 Environmental Impacts > Land Use Patterns > Alternative 1 - Proposed Actions

Alternative 1-proposed actions starts bottom page 3.4-23 and 24

The EIS acknowledges that truck traffic using the site access route would cross the Cape Horn Trail crossing on Salmon Falls Road. The analysis concludes that an enhanced crossing with RRFBs and advanced LED warning beacons should be considered, while stating impacts are not expected to be significant.

500 Trucks Comment:

THIS IS THE ONLY PLACE ANY MITIGATION FOR THE CAPE HORN TRAIL IS DESCRIBED! No mention of trucks backed up end-to-end waiting to pull out westbound onto SR14 and blocking the crosswalk. No mention of trucks experiencing brake failure descending steep Salmon Falls Road. No mention of trucks turning off SR14 and suddenly stopping for crosswalk traffic, creating backups into SR14.

Item #03

Cape Horn Trail “Mitigation Measures”

Section: 3.4.2 Environmental Impacts > Parks and Recreation > Alternative 1 - Proposed Actions

Cape Horn Trail “Mitigation Measures” begin in Section 3.4.3 on pages 3.4-24
“other possible mitigation” described at the top of page 3.4-26

The EIS suggests that the Cape Horn Trailhead could potentially be relocated to address parking capacity and safety concerns. Several alternative trailhead locations are discussed.

500 Trucks Comment:

[In Progress]

Item #04

Impact on National Scenic Area

Section: 3.4.5 Relationship to Plans, Policies and Regulations > National Scenic Areas

Land Use impacts to National Scenic Areas starts 3.4-27

The EIS concludes that impacts on recreational resources within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area are not expected to be significant.

500 Trucks Comment:

They propose flashing LED signs to make it all OK and keep 'pedestrian-vehicle crashes low' — LOW!

Item #05

West End Comprehensive Plan

Section: Relationship to Plans, Policies and Regulations > West End Community Comprehensive Subarea Plan

Discussion of the West End Comprehensive plan begins here Pages 3.4-31

The EIS summarizes the Skamania County Comprehensive Plan and the West End Community Comprehensive Subarea Plan and discusses policy compliance.

500 Trucks Comment:

Mitigation measures described DO NOT PROTECT values outlined in the vision and mission, or adequately mitigate impacts.

Item #06

The Quarry Can Operate at Night

Section: Relationship to Plans, Policies and Regulations > West End Community Comprehensive Subarea Plan

Policy #26 “Nuisance, noise, and solid-waste ordinances should be strictly enforced by the appropriate County Departments;” Page 3.4-33, 34

Policy #26 addresses nuisance, noise, and solid-waste ordinances. The proponent states nighttime operations may occur during periods of high demand or emergencies.

500 Trucks Comment:

This is where NIGHTTIME OPERATIONS are permitted. The document fails to adequately consider truck traffic noise and dismisses increased traffic impacts.

Item #07

500 Isn’t Significant?! Ignoring our Neighborhood!

Section: Relationship to Plans, Policies and Regulations > Conditional Use Permit

Criteria 3 Page 3.4,40

Conditional Use Permit Criteria #3 requires traffic impacts not conflict with neighborhood traffic.

500 Trucks Comment:

To posit that 500 gravel truckloads per day would not be significant is preposterous. Neighborhood use is not accurately captured in the traffic study.

Additional Helpful Information from the EIS

This section contains additional information that we consider must-know details for anyone living in the affected area. We’ve added several sub-sections below with useful tables, maps and figures, each with the DEIS page number referenced.

Where possible, an excerpt, image or table from the EIS has been directly included here for convenience.

You can download the Draft EIS from the Skamania County website:
https://www.skamaniacounty.org/home/showpublisheddocument/17752/639106408114900000

Project boundary vicinity map

Page: 3.1-11
Figure: 3.1-3

Impact Summary Matrix

Page: 1.7
Table: 1-1

For impacts at a glance, this table is a very helpful summarization.
Table 1.1 indicating impacts, mitigation measures, significant unavoidable adverse impacts broken down by project scenarios- alternative 1, alternative 2, and alternative 3

Chapter 1 - Summary

Section 1.3 - Project Summary
Page: 1-1

Project Summary- briefly describes alternatives and project objectives. This is necessary to understand how to interpret document

Chapter 2 - Descriptions of Proposed Actions

Page: 2.2

Potential Haul Routes (i.e., affected roads)

Page: 2.22
Figure: 2-12

Begin Excerpt
Six potential haul route options are shown on Figure 2-12, Haul Route Options, and
described in detail in Appendix B. All the routes start at the Skamania Quarry site and end
at the roundabout intersection of Washougal River Road and SR 14. The route options are
generally as follows:

Option 1 (Alternative 1, access from south part of site):
- BPA easement/Kellet Road >
- McCloskey Creek Road >
- Mabee Mines Road >
- Salmon Falls Road >
- SR 14 >
- Roundabout (end);
Option 2 (Alternative 2, access from southwest part of site):
- McCloskey Creek Road >
- Mabee Mines Road >
- Salmon Falls Road >
- SR 14 >
- Roundabout (end);
Option 3:
- McCloskey Creek Road >
- Mabee Mines Road >
- Salmon Falls Road (north) >
- Washougal River Road >
- Roundabout (end);
Option 4:
- McCloskey Creek Road >
- Mabee Mines Road >
- Salmon Falls Road (south) >
- Canyon Creek Road >
- Washougal River Road >
- Roundabout (end);
Option 5:
- McCloskey Creek Road >
- Mabee Mines Road >
- Salmon Falls Road (south) >
- Canyon Creek Road >
- Mt. Pleasant Road >
- Belle Center Road (south) >
- SR 14 >
- Roundabout (end);
Option 6:
- McCloskey Creek Road >
- Mabee Mines Road >
- Salmon Falls Road (south) >
- Canyon Creek Road >
- Mt. Pleasant Road >
- Belle Center Road (north) >
- Gibson Road >
- SR 14 >
- Roundabout (end)

Chapter 3- Noise

Impacts from Project on Public Roads Starts page 3.3-18
Impact from project on Private roads starts on page 3.1-24 *Describes Kellet Rd sound berm

Chapter 3 Land Use

Section 3.4
Relationship to Plans, Policies and Regulations Starts on page 3.4-4
Impacts from Project on Public Roads Starts page 3.3-18
*Cape Horn Trail is mentioned on the bottom of pg 3.4-7 under SOUTH portion

Parks and Recreation element Starts page 3.4-13 USFS submits a brief description of Cape Horn Trail