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Quarr y owners hop e to raise profile of gravel
<br /> Supporters say new tax will make pits more attractive to suburbs that are rapidly sealing gravel want pretty malls and retail. They don't
<br /> reserves forever with houses and malls. give a damn about aggregate," said Peter
<br /> While it's almost unheard of for a bust- (Fischer, an owner of Fischer Sand and
<br /> BY BOB:SHAW So why does gravel gel treated like ness owner to favor higher taxes, many Aggregate in Apple Valley. -
<br /> Pioneer Press dirt? meta area quarry owners do.They say if The promise of lax income could
<br /> Supporters of a new tax on gravel want the money goes to host cities, it will pro- change(.hat
<br /> Minnesotans use more than 10 tons of to raise the profile of gravel, sand and mote more mining and help their industry, Suburban quarries are critical for con-
<br /> ic ayear,per person. rock taken front suburban quarries.They which suffers from an image problem. Gulling costs,because gravel is cheap only
<br /> It's an endangered natural resource, hope the lax—or voluntary"host fees"--• "ft's dirty and dusty. And (suburbs)
<br /> expected to be depleted locally in 17 years. will make gravel quarries more attractive don't give a damn about the jobs. They uItAV1Sh PIT'S,411
<br /> 413 C MONDAY, MAY 5, 2003 LOCAL NEWS
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<br /> PHOTOS BY CRAIG BORCK,PIONEER PRESS
<br /> Dave Edmunds, manager of the materials division at Edward Kramer& Sons, a limestone mine in Burnsville, and other local
<br /> gravel miners support a proposed tax on gravel and aggregate.They say it will help promote more gravel mining in the Twin Cities.
<br /> Gravel pits
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<br /> when it.is close. A Ion of gravel not guile ; ti Y _ Jr ell .' t n gr ��pi
<br /> a halhlub full - often costs from $10 to$13 t ': ,, . , ` ' .,. , I /49
<br /> locally, but Fischer he said if he has to haul it k ir'iae k,.t �!`1 ra1.1 -r r i t f '
<br /> nun e than 25 miles the cost goes up 50 per t nj 5, ; r' ` rc k it ( °,,5 ar 4 - n le
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<br /> c.eu. In other r Ices,a '20 mile haul ran don t g,, , u � „ :(
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<br /> tile the Lost Y.{I , !I{.S$,AI.E4t' >>l.t ...r� If !,,1,40,d/ 141.9 , i r i a al p�
<br /> "So, its Dot. so simple as saying we are . �, r �jYinne j *,,,: { , °' '`{ r""" ' 4, t ; t.
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<br /> .lust going to Rive County to haul it up, said y. ,x, 1'..i..6.1.1:,,.,., I. ' 4.1r.
<br /> Rnrusville City Manager Craig Ebeling,who rf ' i f '
<br /> favors a in coil,per ton lax as good public 1 r T �. 11 tit .1 ' + 3 ■
<br /> policy u� " 11 ! r,. �_----_
<br /> "We are all consumers of aggregate," he The huge Kramer mine in Burnsville will be filled with water when all the rock has been
<br /> said, in our highways, basements and air- dug out.
<br /> ports.
<br /> Other aggregate costs, such as permits, build on top of the depleted areas. son said that although metro area suppliers
<br /> add to the price of gravel. "We have had Iverson said I hat's what happened in favor it, rural aggregate suppliers don't
<br /> • more price increases in the past 10 years many high profile shopping areas,including wan(. a new tax that primarily benefits sup
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<br /> than in the an before that,"said Fischer. much of Apple Valley's downtown, South- pliers in the Twin Cities.
<br /> A gravel tax is a hot issue in Dakota dale center in Edina, and Maple Grove's If taxes can't be raised, said Knutson,
<br /> County, source of almost one-third of the Arbor lakes. voluntary "host fees" could be negotiated.
<br /> state's supply. '('here, primordial glaciers Allowing an area to be mined is alurost Several south-metro suppliers said they'd
<br /> dumped the crushed rock perfect for con- like a land trust, where valuable land is set support a host fee system or a tax increase
<br /> struction uses—in the right combination of aside for the 15-to 40,year life of a quarry. -- provided it is statewide and goes to the
<br /> sizes to fit together,rock by rock,to remain "'Phis is an interim use," said Iverson. host cities.
<br /> stable in such places as road lweds. "The community will get reimbursed, and David Edmunds, manager of the Inateri-
<br /> But those supplies are dwindling. Gravel will get the land back,in as good a shape as als division of Edward Kraemer & Sons in
<br /> in the northwest suburbs should run out by it was before,25 to 30 years later" Burnsville, said a fee or new taxes would
<br /> 2008,and the southern metro gravel pits,by 'I'o woo the suburbs and increase sup- address a key objection to new gravel
<br /> 2020. It's because Minnesota's consumption plies, Sen. Dave Knutson, It-Burnsville, mines. Ile recalled a Rosemount official,
<br /> is soaring to about 50 million tons a year,up _ __ _ _ when asked about allowing a gravel quarry
<br /> 50 percent from the 1980s. - in that city in 1999,responding,"What's in it
<br /> When metro area supplies are spent, in Dakota County, primordial for us?"
<br /> said 'Todd Iverson, lobbyist with the Aggre- Steve Iledburg of Hedberg Aggregates,
<br /> gate and Ready Mix Association of Min- glacie1: s dumped the crushed whose family has been in the aggregate
<br /> Iesota, "'Then you are looking a1. Hauling it business locally for about 811 years, said
<br /> 100 miles or more." rock pealed. for construction some form of payback was only fair,because
<br /> Said Fischer: "If you I.hink cousl.ruction host cities incur some costs for such things
<br /> costs are prohibitive now,just wait." Uses, such Cl s road beds. as road maintenance. g,.
<br /> The end of dirt-cheap gravel would mean "It actually would be good for industry,"
<br /> higher costs for everything from sidewalks said Fischer
<br /> to skyscrapers. But many suburbs are favors a 10-cent:per-ton aggregate tax. "Everyone focuses on the digital imfur-
<br /> paving over gravel supplies. "We put$1 billion into road construction, notion age. But if you don't have roads,
<br /> Iverson said, for example, that Woodbury and we have a bonding bill. We need aggre- sewer and water, if you don't have that old
<br /> had some of the best gravel in the state,but it gate," Knutson said. "This would allow the low-tech infrastructure,"he said, "you can't
<br /> was being forever sealed off by develop- development of a precious commodity." survive."
<br /> meths like Wedgewood and Dancing Waters. Knutson said his aggregate tax probably
<br /> It's better planning,said several land-use wouldn't pass this legislative session partly Bob Shaw can be reached at bshaw @pioneer
<br /> experts, to get the gravel out first, then because of a lack of industry support. Iver- press.cone or(651)228-5433.
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