Old Hickory Quarry Plan Slowed By Environmental Concerns

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A proposal to open a limestone rock quarry near Old Hickory Lake has been slowed — but not stopped — by regulators.

State and federal inspectors spent the better part of a day walking the 141 acres targeted for mining and a future asphalt and concrete plant.

In letters to the company that followed, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation — speaking on behalf of four agencies — raise concerns about the impact on the environment and on endangered species.

They’ve asked Nashville-based Industrial Land Developers to be careful about wetlands. And they’re going to need to look for and plan to protect any endangered eagles or bats that may be found living nearby.

“They didn’t find any eagles on the site, but they have requested more information in the form of a study,” said project engineer John Gordon, with Murfreesboro-based Wiser Consultants. “It’s enough that [U.S. Fish And Wildlife Services] has requested more information.”

The quarry company also needs to do a new environmental impact study — including a closer examination of the soil — because an old DuPont gunpowder plant occupied the land in the early 1900s. The state said the company’s first study was “outdated and insufficient” because it was created 16 years ago.

There’s no deadline for the company to respond. Gordon said meeting the requests will slow down the permitting process.

“That’s what we need,” said quarry opponent Cory Sharp, of Old Hickory. “Our concerns are still there, for sure.”

A 30-day public comment period on the project has been pushed back. An earlier effort by Metro Council to restrict quarries failed to come to a final vote.