Raging River Conservation Group
Posted on July 2017

July 2017 update

The quarry is currently regulated under a very old set of rules based on the initial mining permit for that property.

A Periodic Review process was initiated in 2015 (due mainly to the large volume of complaints!). The Periodic Review allows the Department of Permitting and Environmental Review (DPER) to update rules to today's more stringent environmental and public health ordinances wherever possible.

DPER announced that the Periodic Review was to be completed in October 2016. It wasn't released.

At the April 2017 Fall City Town Hall meeting, Randy Sandin, Manager of DPER, announced that it would be completed and released in “a couple of weeks”. A final report date of May 1st is posted on DPER's website. And again - it wasn't released.

In mid-May, Raging River Conservation Group Directors met with Councilperson Kathy Lambert, DPER Director John Starbard, and DPER Manager Randy Sandin. During that meeting, DPER disclosed that they were not even clear that the operating conditions for the quarry sent to the public 2 years ago are actually enforceable! A list of current (valid) operating ordinances was to be sent to RRCG Directors after the meeting with the Periodic Review document with updated rules promised in “2 weeks”. It is now July 2017, a year after DPER announced the Periodic Review plan.

What this means:

The quarry is STILL operating under outdated rules, allowed to ignore many of our concerns (and current ordinances) about air quality, noise pollution, potential pollution of the Raging River, health of the wildlife population, traffic issues posed by large trucks, etc.

What you can do:

  1. Write to Councilperson Kathy Lambert, Kathy.lambert@kingcounty.gov ; DPER Manager Randy Sandin, randy.sandin@kingcounty.gov ; DPER Director John Starbard, john.starbard@kingcounty.gov
    Tell them you are concerned that there has been a lack of respect for our community in that the Periodic Review is STILL not available and the quarry is operating without updated standards.
  2. Continue to make noise by sending in complaints with as much documentation as possible. YOUR COMPLAINTS DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
  3. Consider writing a personal note to Councilperson Lambert stating that as one of her constituents you would appreciate some assistance with this issue.
  4. And please send us a copy of letters you send so we may show the strength of the community in upcoming meetings we have:

Thank you for your support
Raging River Conservation Group

Additional information:

Please note the ANSWER from DPER regarding property issues:
24._The quarry operator shall be responsible for any damage to nearby properties, including domestic water supply wells, attributable to blasting on the subject property. Claims for any such damage shall be the responsibility of the affected property owner and the quarry operator to handle directly between themselves, but a failure of the quarry operator to respond in good faith to any such claim may be cause for denial of future grading permits, or prohibition or restriction upon future blasting.

The quarry mailing address is:
Raging River Quarry, LLC
3132 NE Harrison St.
Issaquah, WA 98029