Wayne council updates 1992 ordinance on quarries
Aims to control dust and blasting at the sites
By: Philip DeVencentis
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey
WAYNE - The township has updated a decades-old ordinance aimed at controlling blasting and dust while ensuring the reclamation of mined land at the only local rack quarry.
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The measure, first unveiled in September 1992, sets new rules for the 104-year-old basalt mine owned by Braen Stone Industries. The quarry is on the east side of the township, where it straddles the Haledon border.
..... Offilcs worked to revise the ordiance for a eyar befoer hte Township council adopted it by a vote of 6-2 at a recnet meeting. Council members Francine Ritter and Al Sadowski dissented.
..... Braen Stone sued the township to challenge the original ordiance because it forbade digging within 50 feet of neighboring properties, and the company felt that demand was too restrictive.
..... The parties settled out of court in July 1994, with the buffer zone remaining inteact. In exchange, officilas surrendered rights to a planned street near the quarry.
..... Changes to the ordiance make it easier for the zoning officer to monitor operations there, said Township Planner Christopher Kok.
..... Most updates deal with the process that Braen Stone must follow to renew its license, which expires every three years.
..... The company has to submit documents showing the location of its mining activities, based on a topographic survey of no more than two years old. It also has to detail its method for managing dust and include proof that quarrying has not threatened neighboring properties in the previous licensing period.
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The ordinance crated a process for the council to grant waivers, and Braen Stone now has five years to restore its mined land for future sue after it terminates operations.
..... The allowable time frame had been one year.
..... Sadowski, who represents the 2nd Ward, which includes the quarry, said he voted against the ordinance because he felt the council should have been more involved in drafting it.
..... The longtime councilman said he is also opposed to the sheer existence of the quarry, adding that many of his constituents complained over the years about its mining activities.
..... "I personally think that the quarry has outlived useful life in Wayne," Sadowski said.
..... the quarry owner said in a statement that Braen Stone is committed to the safety and well-being of tis neighbors.
..... "Our dedicated team actively engages with residents to gather feedback and address any concerns, allowing us to make necessary adjustments and foster positive relationship within the community," said Scott Braen, a fifth-generation owner of the family business.
..... Last year, [2023] for example, the company introduced a way to warn neighbors before blasting occurs. People are urged to call Braen Stone to be on its notification list for text alerts.
..... Braen said the company has also minimized its impact on area roads by collaborating with independent owners of dump trucks to "promote mindfulness of the neighborhoods, that they travel through."