Sloan Construction Blacksburg Quarry (Proposed)

At the core of Sloan Construction's plans for the Blacksburg Mine are several initiatives for protecting natural resources and wildlife. In mapping out the project, Sloan conducted extensive geologic testing to determine that quality of the granite close enough to the surface to be mined and in just the right locations to keep the majority of the tract in a natural state.

LAND CONSERVATION

The Blacksburg Mine site covers about 314 acres. Approximately 54 acres will be mined in increments of 10 acres. The remaining 260 acres will include buffers, processing facilities and roads.

A majority of the site consists of secondary-growth pine-mixed hardwood forest. Dominant species included Virginia pine (Pinus virginiana), loblolly pine (P. taeda), white oak (Quercus alba), northern red oak (Q. rubra), water oak (Q. nigra), red maple (Acer rubrum), sweetgum, tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), hickory (Carya spp.), flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), sourwood (Oxydendron arboreum), and black cherry (Prunus serotina).A sparse understory dominated by saplings of the canopy dominants and American holly (Ilex opaca) was observed.

Ground cover included vines and herbs such as greenbrier (Smilax rotundifolia), muscadine (Vitis rotundifolia), poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides), and ebony spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron).

Sloan's plans will protect and enhance the land during the life of the mine and beyond. Some of the highlights of those plans include vegetation management to promote native species. If a wetland area is impacted, a detailed mitigation plan will be provided.

A PLAN FOR PLANTS AND ANIMALS

Management of habitat for wildlife also is a high priority. No rare wildlife species have been documented on the site. Sloan has commissioned biologists to conduct a Protected Species Assessment.

BLACKSBURG MINE CONSERVATION

Mine Site: 304 acres consisting of streams and flow-ways will be protected. The company is responsible for devising detailed reclamation plans for areas where mining will be done.

WATER

Recycling water plays a primary role in Sloan Construction's plans to mine Granite from the Blacksburg Mine in Cherokee County. The Blacksburg Mine will create ponds that will be re-circulated daily in the processing of the aggregate. DHEC evaluates how much water would be needed, where it is coming from and ensuring systems are in place to protect natural resources.

AFTER MINING: A NEW LAKE ECOSYSTEM

Even before the mine opens, Sloan must put in place a plan delineating what happens to the tract once mining is completed. After reclamation, the site will include 304 acres of restored land. About 64 acres of lakes will be left behind - a water resource designed to create a new ecosystem for plants and animals.

AIR QUALITY

Air quality will be preserved through engineering of wet suppression systems to control dust from the crushing operation and truck traffic.