Placer County approves plan to mine farmland

Wednesday December 18, 2002

LINCOLN, Calif. (AP) Placer County supervisors have approved a plan to mine farmland near here to extract 71 million tons of sand, gravel and granite.

The development agreement, which was approved by the board on Tuesday, comes eight years after Teichert Inc. proposed mining the farmland to obtain materials that will be used to build homes and roads in this fast-growing region.

The agreement requires Teichert to pay for $3.5 million worth of road improvements.

``We're thrilled with the decision,'' said Teichert project manager Troy Reimche. ``This project has evolved to address the concerns raised by the public to become the project that it is today.''

The construction and aggregate mining company plans to mine 20 percent of the 3,455-acre property located four miles north of Lincoln over the next 35 to 40 years. The Sacramento-based company says it will dig in 20-acre phases while simultaneously restoring mined land.

But some residents, environmentalists and farmers oppose the project, arguing that it will bring more noise, traffic and air pollution to the countryside.

Therese Adams, director of a grass-roots group called Western Placer Citizens for an Agricultural and Rural Environment, said she was disappointed the board didn't mention environmental and health concerns during the meeting on Tuesday.

Adams said the group plans to consult an attorney about a possible suit to stop the project.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)