Another chapter opens in asphalt plant saga

SAGLE — The saga of a contested asphalt plant continues on Thursday.

The Bonner County Planning & Zoning Commission is slated to take up a proposed zone change and comprehensive land use plan amendment that would replace a temporary batch plant with a permanent one.

A public hearing on the proposal is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Bonner County Administration Building.

The plant would be located at Frank Linscott’s gravel pit north of Gun Club Road on the west side of U.S. Highway 95. The surface mine has been in operation for decades.

Neighboring landowners have long opposed a permanent asphalt plant, which has resulted in a series of permits for temporary facilities over the years.

They concede that Linscott and Interstate Concrete & Asphalt have implemented measures to mitigate noise, dust and odor from the pit and the plant since the latest temporary use permit was issued in 2013.

“That was the very responsible thing to do and it’s very much appreciated. However, nothing can be done to mitigate a permanent asphalt plant’s impact on surrounding residents,” said Rich Faletto.

Faletto said a permanent asphalt plant would drag down property values and in turn crimp the tax revenue the county collects from those values.

There’s also the ongoing question of whether the plant poses a threat to the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer.

“One of our biggest fears is that there would be a spill right over the aquifer,” said Tom Walton, another neighboring resident.

Faletto said a hydrological study needs to be conducted and can’t understand why regulatory agencies such as the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality are silent on that question.

But Interstate officials contend the facility does not jeopardize the aquifer because the plant will not sit atop sandy or gravely portions of the pit.

“It’s actually sitting over the quarry, the hard-rock portion of that site,” said Paul Franz, Interstate’s regional manager for asphalt plants.

Chemicals used in the production process are also subject to secondary containment protocols, Franz added.

Scott Rusho, Interstate’s construction manager in Sandpoint, said asphalt oil is stored hot to retain its liquid state. If some were to spill from a truck, it wouldn’t get far because it would start solidifying when exposed to the air.

“It’s probably only going to penetrate the gravel by a very minimal amount and it’s not going to flow very much because it’s cooling,” Rusho said.

Interstate said the plant is modern counterflow design, which makes it quiet and cuts down on fume and dust emissions. The company also contends it will ultimately reduce the amount of truck traffic in the area because excavated materials won’t have to driven to Sandpoint, processed and then put back onto a truck for delivery.

Interstate said it will strive to be a good neighbor in Sagle.

“We live and work here in this community, too, and getting along with your neighbors is very important,” said Rusho.

Neighboring landowners, meanwhile, contend the zone change from rural residential to industrial would compromise the integrity of land-use policy and the comp plan. They argue the zone change is too abrupt and could set an unwanted precedent for future zone change requests.

“It’s bigger issue than just the effect on us local landowners. There’s more at stake,” Faletto said.