Today, around 80 homeowners met at the Johnson Lane Baptist Church in Minden to discuss how the proposed opening of the nearby Painted Rock Mine, a commercial gravel pit operation, will affect their neighborhood.
According to officials, the BIA has sole authority to approve the Painted Rock Mine project.
Knox Excavating is requesting a 40-year permit to access the mine, but in order to reach it, they have to drive straight through Johnson Lane. For some residents the quarry is as close as 100 to 500 feet away.
The local community is concerned about what issues the reopening of the mine will bring. Carol Strehle, a Minden resident, states, “the impact is going to be horrible, I mean up to 170 trucks going past our backyard and down Johnson Lane every single day, 6 days a week from sun up to sunset."
The permit is still in the permitting process, but some residents have suggested the company make an entirely separate road for the trucks to drive on. “When you're going to make millions of dollars off of materials, I don't understand why you can't afford to put your own road in,” says Jay Yankosie, a resident of the area for the past 22 years.
Several of the residents said they hope a compromise with the excavation company can be reached.
KTVN has reached out to Knox Excavating for comment on this project, but have not yet heard back from them.
