Addressing the Impacts of the Quarry
How Solebury Township is Addressing the
Environmental Impacts of New Hope Crushed Stone Quarry
The mining activities of New Hope Crushed Stone have resulted in decreased ground water elevations and altered flow patterns throughout much of the Primrose Creek watershed and  beyond its boundaries. Consequently, many residents have had to lower their well pumps, deepen their wells, or replace their wells. The continued operation of the quarry has also destroyed the natural flow of the Primrose Creek, as can be seen in aerial photos compiled over the last five decades.
The Township's water resources consultant, Environmental Planning Consultants, led by Solebury resident Dr. Peter Brussock, has documented the extensive and cumulative damage from mining operations at the quarry.
The Township's Efforts
For more than a decade, Solebury Township has pursued every available option to protect the Primrose Creek Watershed and its environs. The Township has a mandate from Solebury residents to doggedly protect its groundwater resources and address other imperative environmental issues. When litigation was required, the Township prevailed.
Since the beginning of 2008, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has demonstrated a willingness to work with the Township to study, evaluate and regulate conditions at the quarry based on sound, scientific measurements of the various environmental impacts to the Watershed.
In April 2008, Solebury and the DEP entered into a formal agreement (PDF - Settlement Agreement) settling their outstanding litigation and setting out a procedure to jointly evaluate the many detrimental effects that quarry operations continue to have on the environment.
As a result of the agreement, the Township and state agency have developed a work plan (PDF - Work Plan) to guide their scientific review of the Watershed and its environs.
Resident Involvement
Part of the joint Solebury/DEP activities includes meeting with residents to identify immediate problem areas and improve communication about the quarry's mining operation. As a result of these public discussions it became clear to residents, DEP officials and Township administration that years of complaints about the quarry had not reached the proper officials. DEP is now working aggressively, in full cooperation with the Township, to ensure residents are fully heard (PDF - PaDEP Letter to Supervisors).
A revised procedure is now in place to make sure that all complaints are heard, investigated and followed-up by the proper representatives of the DEP, that residents are kept informed of the progress of their complaint, and that a complete record is compiled as a result of this process.
Solebury residents and many organizations in the region are actively involved in the Township's development of a holistic, long-term approach to water resources management. A newly-forming Primrose Creek Watershed Association will join a grassroots coalition that includes Bucks County Trout Unlimited; Delaware Riverkeeper; the Delaware River Basin Commission; Aquetong, Paunacussing and Pidcock Creek watershed associations and numerous conservancy organizations in this effort.
Prospects for the Future
While the Township and DEP were able to reach an understanding of how best to proceed to resolve these issues, New Hope Crushed Stone, through its counsel, have chosen not to enter into any of these agreements. Solebury is holding the door open for the quarry operators to participate in the work plan, with data collection and analysis. With court action ended, it is now possible for the quarry operators to engage in direct dialog with the Township, as a resident, not a litigant. Township administrators look forward to that direct dialog, without legal intermediaries, as a way toward a sustainable resolution of residents' concerns.
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