Protect Tom’s Creek from Hazardous Mountaintop Removal

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (Pa DEP) is in the final stages of reviewing a permit for Specialty Granules, Inc., LLC (SGI) to mine and process greenstone, a metabasalt which is crushed into a fine grit to make asphalt shingles. Greenstone is known to contain naturally occurring asbestos, a carcinogenic material hazardous to human health, and the crushing process introduces contaminants into the air and water. If permitted, the project will blast and excavate right next door to residential properties, within 100 feet of scenic, historic roads, and within 300 feet of Tom’s Creek and four ecologically-diverse wetlands containing unique and endangered species.

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Protect the Tom's Creek Community

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Pine Hill, the proposed mining site, is 112 acres of land with important scenic and historical attributes, and is part of the “specially protected watershed” flowing into the Chesapeake Bay. Blasting will also impact septic tanks and any toxins discharged into Tom’s Creek will leach through ground fissures into the aquifer, which residents of the area rely on for drinking water. Not only is the scenic and ecological value of Tom’s Creek at stake, but also the health, property, and cultural heritage of its human neighbors.

For these reasons, I oppose SGI’s permit to mine Pine Hill, and ask that you contact the Pennsylvania DEP and Governor Wolf to echo our concerns.

As a concerned resident of the state of Pennsylvania, I oppose Specialty Granules, Inc., LLC’s permit to mine and process greenstone in Pine Hill. Greenstone is known to contain naturally occurring asbestos, and the crushing process introduces contaminants into the air and water. If permitted, the project will blast and excavate right next door to residential properties, within 100 feet of scenic, historic roads, and within 300 feet of Tom’s Creek and four ecologically-diverse wetlands containing unique and endangered species. Pine Hill, the proposed mining site, is 112 acres of land with important scenic and historical attributes, and is part of the “specially protected watershed” flowing into the Chesapeake Bay. Blasting will also impact septic tanks and any toxins discharged into Tom’s Creek will leach through ground fissures into the aquifer, which residents of the area rely on for drinking water. Not only is the scenic and ecological value of Tom’s Creek at stake, but also the health, property, and cultural heritage of its human neighbors. For these reasons, I oppose SGI’s permit to mine Pine Hill, and ask that you contact the Pennsylvania DEP and Governor Wolf to echo our concerns.

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