On Tuesday April 11, the final Conditional Use Hearing for Haines and Kibblehouse’s proposed quarry took place in the municipal building for Springfield Township. More than 50 residents of the area were in attendance, in person and on Zoom, as well as representatives of H&K, the Philadelphia Clean Air Council, the township solicitor and the members of the board.
After nearly three years of deliberation and hundreds of hours of testimony from witnesses brought to the stand by H&K’s attorney, the Clean Air Council, and residents living in the impact zone of the quarry, the Springfield Township Board of Supervisors issued its decision. Based on the testimony they had heard, their deliberations, and legal advice from the township solicitor, the board of supervisors unanimously voted in favor of allowing the quarry to be put in the proposed location.
This proposed location runs over 196 acres of forests and wetlands, parallel to Route 309.
In addition, the quarry runs adjacent to the Upper Bucks Rail Trail, a linear park frequently used for recreation by runners, bikers, dog-walkers, commuters, and families living in the area.
Over the course of the hearing, H&K’s chief representative seemed determined to prove that the rail trail is not a linear park. Why? If the Upper Bucks Rail trail is not classified as a linear park, the quarry only needs to be set back 25 feet from the site. If the rail trail is classified as a linear park, the quarry must be set back 300 feet from the site and erect a protective berm protecting the trail. The definition of a linear park is a park or trail that is significantly longer than it is wide. At 12 feet wide and 3.3 miles long, most would agree that the rail trail is significantly longer than it is wide.
The residents living in the area of impact for the proposed quarry have fought against the application (aided by the Clean Air Council) for nearly three years, since June 17, 2020. The residents have proved, time and time again, throughout the proceedings, how a quarry would be detrimental to the neighborhood and to the people and animals that live here. The neighborhood is home to many animals, from dogs and cats to horses, alpacas and chickens, and every one of these animals will be heavily impacted by the blasting, grinding, and all around disruption of a quarry.
In addition to pets, Salem Road (which runs parallel to the quarry site, less then 5,000 feet away) hosts the Tales of Valor rescue center, where veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces can seek rehabilitation in the form of working with rescue dogs. The blasting of the quarry could be reminiscent of gunfire and explosions for the veterans, which could trigger attacks of PTSD that would prove detrimental to their health and rehabilitation.
These veterans served the country honorably; they do not need constant triggers in the form of a quarry situated directly behind them.
The members of the board of supervisors had a responsibility: to make the decision that was best for the people they represent, assuming they could legally do so.
The board was shown, time and time again, exactly what the legal basis was for refusing the quarry application.
The board was shown, time and time again, exactly what the residents they represented thought of the idea of a quarry.
The residents made it clear that they did not want a quarry and it should have been the board’s job to reflect and respect that opinion in their decision. They did not listen.
The people of Springfield Township have spoken. We do not want a quarry destroying the natural beauty of our area. We do not want a quarry destroying our peace and serenity, destroying the plant life and the animal habitat.
There is still time to stop this quarry. Now is not the time to sit passively by and allow our planet to continue to be destroyed by money-seeking corporations. Now is the time to act.
Addison Fliszar, 15, lives in Springfield Township.
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