Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Read the REVISED APPLICATION

So why is Q-1 rezoning bad?

The proposed Q-1 rezoning is bad for many reasons. The main reason is that it undoes the zoning that was carefully put in place to protect our countryside and farmland. It allows for industrial quarries to be placed anywhere a quarrying or mining compnay wants in the county without restriction, with the exception that there cannot be another mining facility within 5 miles. As long as the state says it is OK, then the county has no say. It means that large corporations, not just local companies (despite what they say) will come to take our natural resources. It means increased truck traffic across the county, it means damaging our water supplies, it means polluting our air, and destroying our property values. And let me make this very clear, it IS NOT localized to just one part of the county or one community. It is aimed squarely at the natural resources in our county. This will impact every community, ever district, EVERY PART!

What's bad about an industrial hard rock quarry?

There are a lot of reasons why people who live in a rural residential area wouldn't want a massive mining operation nearby. The potential problems include:

  • Traffic. There will be a major increase in the number of large trucks traveling to and from the mine to the Troy Sand & Gravel plant in West Sand Lake. As the quarry grows, so too will traffic. This poses a potential danger to the many school buses that travel on the same route, as well as creating frustrating "rolling roadblocks" during rush hour for folks commuting to work.
  • Declining property values. No one wants to live near an industrial quarry. No one wants to deal with heavy truck traffic on a daily basis. As the desirability of an area decreases, so too do property values.
  • Visual impacts. The quarry site is visible from many homes in the surrounding area. Many residents moved here because of the beauty of this region. A quarry is the midst of it all will destroy what many people live here for, and forever change the natural landscape.
  • Air pollution. Blasting, drilling and rock crushing can produce silica dust – which is harmful to people with asthma and can cause severe lung damage.
  • Groundwater contamination. If – as appears to be the case – the proposed mine extends below the water table, it could affect wells in the surrounding area. Residue from explosives, spilled fuel, and other chemicals could seep into the ground water.
  • Surface water contamination. In addition to carrying residue from explosives, spilled fuel, and other chemicals, runoff from the site could silt up nearby streams and other bodies of water.
  • Noise. Hard rock quarrying involves very loud operations. Drilling in preparation for blasting could go on for 12 hours a day, and would be heard over great distances. The blasting necessary to loosen hard rock would be heard for miles around. And the constant noise of rock crushers, operating up to 12 hours a day, would be heard far from the mine site. Local residents living within miles of the Lebanon Valley Speedway can testify as to how far sound travels in these hills. And the noise wouldn't just bother humans – wildlife would be affected as well.
  • Vibration. The enormous explosions associated with hard rock mining are known to crack foundations and destroy drilled wells miles away. Folks living close to a quarry often find dishes and other shelved objects on the floor after a blast.
  • Dangerous precedents. Once an area is being quarried, it is no longer pristine. If this proposed rezoning penetrates local zoning, other quarries will follow close behind.

But they are local businesses. Why can't we trust them?

In a word, No. The public record shows a history of dishonesty, safety, and environmental violations that have made life living hell for those living near by other existing operations. In Hillsboro they have been fighting expansion of the quarry operated by Rogers Group for more than a decade. Do you really think that if anyone can open a quarry anywhere they want in the county they're not going to be in on that in a heartbeat? And even if we thought we could trust them, how long before they sell out to giant corporation?

Don't we need jobs and economic development in Coffee County?

Of course we do! But quarrying isn't development. It's exploitation and destruction!

Quarrying brings no significant economic benefits to a community – it's a highly automated industry with virtually no fixed plant, so we can expect few new jobs and little additional tax revenue. But we are guaranteed noise, blasting, dust, traffic, visual impacts, declining property values... and more quarries, if this proposal successfully penetrates our zoning restrictions.

Think about it – if quarrying comes in, every working person in the area who depends on a stable residential community is going to be in trouble. If people stop building and renovating homes (and who would build or renovate near a quarry, where property values are plunging?), contractors will sit idle. Everyone who depends on consumers for their livelihood – shops, gas stations, and restaurants – will lose customers as homeowners abandon the area. Think of the farms who's water is polluted to the point that it is no long suitable for their livestock (oh, and this may even be the same water that the family drinks). The only folks left behind will be those who cannot afford to take a loss on their home to sell it.

And what do we get in exchange for the destruction of our residential tax base and our properties? Whatever truck drivers spend on coffee and cigarettes on their way to and from the quarry.

If not a quarry, what?

We need development that builds on our strengths – not projects to blow them up and cart them away! This is a beautiful area – a safe, clean environment with good schools and a great quality of life. We have to preserve and build on that! People have lived here for generations because this is a great place to live – and new residents are moving here for the same reason. This area needs a master plan to keep the things we cherish, and keep out the things that will destroy them.

Isn't mining a necessary evil to get material for construction and road building?

Sure, to a point. But this isn't about need – it's about greed. There are plenty of quarries in operation already in the area. But most of the cost of providing rock, gravel and sand is in transportation, so to maximize their profits these companies want a mine on every corner. At the expense of local homeowners.

It's their property. Shouldn't they be allowed to do with it as the wish?

First, what they are proposing can, and will, impact everyone in Coffee County. This proposal allows for what is known as Spot Zoning. Spot zoning is illegal (they're calling it something else hoping that no one was will notice), and is really what the Q-1 special quarry zoning is. It allows for a new quarry ANYPLACE THEY SEE FIT to place one and they can purchase or lease the land. Regardless of the neighboring landowner's rights and wishes. So, even if you think this a problem for only Hillsboro because of Rogers Group, or only a Beechgrove problem because of Hawkins Asphalt Paving think again. It will be your problem when they, or someone else, decides to purchase your neighbors farm. There will be nothing to stop them. So this is more than just letting someone do something on their own property. This is LETTING THEM DO IT TO YOU, YOUR FRIENDS, AND YOUR NEIGHBORS.

Also, the affects of quarrying are not constrained to just the property that they are destroying. IT AFFECTS YOUR PROPERTY. And your family, friends, neighbors and the environment. If they are allowed pass the Q-1, property values will plummet (who wants to live next to a quarry?), and they will fall across the entire county because a new quarry could be built at any time. As assessments drop, so too will tax revenues. Schools and local government will be forced to raise taxes to make up for lost revenue. So the local real estate market will be saddled with under-valued homes burdened with excessive taxes. The recipe for a downward spiral.

The physical impact of this extends far beyond the those unfortunate enough to live near the quarry. Heavy trucks loaded with rock will be barreling down highways throughout the area, sharing the road with commuters and school buses. Noise, vibration, dust and other environmental problems will blanket the region.

Finally, and we cannot stress this enough, this will open up the county to other, even worse (if that can be imagined) industries moving in. If the Q-1 is allowed, there is nothing to stop other industries, not covered in the Q-1, to petition for similar special treatment – AND THERE WILL BE NOTHING THE COUNTY CAN DO TO STOP IT! The precedent will have been set, and those industries can sue the county to force them to be let in. This will not only lead to a blite on our community, but will cause a now cash-strapped county (if the Q-1 is in effect and property values are taking a nose dive) and cause even more tax payer money to be spent.

So what is going on here?

It's simple really. Unethical business people, from a dirty and unethical company, are trying to exploit what they think is our ignorance of the situation. They are leasing land knowing full well their intended use of it is not allowed, and are now trying to change the law to suit them. They will use their lawyers to threaten the county and intimidate neighbors, attempting to bully their way past laws protecting the community. It's up to us to stop them. We can, and will!

How can this be happening to us?

Sadly, there are those who will do anything make a buck and they do not care who gets in their way, or who it hurts. Even their own neighbors! To them, we're just a cost of doing business. So we depend on our elected officials to protect us – but they live on the other side of town, and figure that if something bad is going to happen it might as well happen far from their own homes and families.

But, we have to realize that we do have the power to control our own destiny. We are organizing, we are going to fight, and we will win. Others have; we can too.

How can I keep up with what's happening?

Simple – join the Save Coffee County email list! It's a non-commercial, very low traffic (announcements only) list to keep you posted on meetings and important developments in the struggle against the proposed Q-1 rezoning. We promise not to share your email address, and you can remove yourself from the list whenever you wish. Just send an email to info@savecoffeecountytn.com and we'll hook you up! You can help us out by sharing our SCCTN messages with family, friends and neighbors without email access.

How can I help?

The important part!

  1. Make a contribution to Save Coffee County! We're prepared to fight for this community, and this county, by any means necessary, including through the legal system. Any amount will be appreciate it. If you can give $5, $10, or more every dollar helps. If you can afford more, please give. If you can only afford a little, we appreciate any amount you can give. Do what you can – SCCTN represents folks of all means. You can donate to SCCTN from this website using PayPal, or if you would rather, just send a check payable to SCCTN with your name, address, telephone and email information to: Save Coffee County TN; PO Box 162; Beechgrove, TN 37018.
  2. Contact your elected officials, politely explain your concerns, and ask them to take a public position in opposition to the Q-1 rezoning. Remember that they're not necessarily up-to-speed on these issues and may have only heard the mis-information spread by the mining industry, so a calm, respectful explanation of your views could help bring them around. Do not get angry at them and start name-calling. This will not help, and might even be counter-productive!
  3. Attend public hearings and town board meetings to support your neighbors in the struggle for sane public policy in our communities!
  4. Tell all your family, friends and neighbors about this fight. Together we can protect one another!