Wednesday
September 18, 2024 
Springfield supervisors unanimously approved a controversial quarry off Route 309 Tuesday, bringing to an end an emotional 2½-year battle by nearby residents and their allies to stop the 40-year project.
The township, however, set more than two-dozen conditions, which were read aloud by township solicitor Scott MacNair. Operator H&K will be required to enter a well water agreement with the township that addresses water quantity and water quality issues and provide a temporary water source should there be any contamination. The company will also have to comply with regulations of Pennsylvania Mining Act, and with conditions of the township zoning ordinance that are not preempted by the mining act. Most significantly, it will have to agree to modify the sequence of operations, commencing extraction in the northern area first rather than the southern area. No reason was provided for this change.
The company will also be required to install a chain-link fence with signage, and allow the township to inspect any extraction at the property on any working day with due notice.
The conditions direct trucks away from residences on Mine Road, restricting truck traffic to Springfield Street and Route 309, except for local deliveries.
The company will also be required to institute safety measures along the boundary adjacent to the Upper Bucks Rail Trail following concerns about flying rocks and other debris and mitigate noise and dust along property boundaries on south and west where the protective berm is not located.
All groundwater test results and the seismic readings of each blast will be required to be sent to DEP and the township, respectively. The conditions also require H&K to appoint a project manager to hear and address any complaints.
“It is our hope that H&K will continue to be a solid community member in the protection of the community,” said Supervisor Chairman Tony Matzura.
Reaction to the decision was surprisingly muted. “Can you guarantee that properties and pets will be protected?” one woman inquired. “Supervisors carefully considered the law and the facts of the case and they imposed conditions with that in mind. They are going to try to ensure that everything is safe at this operation,” replied solicitor McNair.
Alex Bomstein, an attorney for the Clean Air Council who participated in numerous hearings, said he was surprised by the unanimous decision. “If you were advised that this was to be done, you were not advised correctly. We had a lot of testimony. We had a lot of comment over the years. It’s really been incredible watching the community stand up for their rights that have been violated today.”
Former township Environmental Advisory Council member Arianne Elinich added she was “incredibly disappointed” and expressed concern about the long-term implications on the community. Residents have repeatedly expressed concern about contamination of their well water, the potential for asbestos, irreparable damage to the delicate ecosystem and an overall deterioration in their quality of life from the constant noise and traffic.
A written decision will be released on May 1. That will be followed by a 30-day appeal period.
Also at the meeting, supervisors held a moment of silence for former Police Chief Robert Bell. Bell, who died of cancer, led the four-person force from 1982 to 1994 and spoke out at many a township meeting following his retirement.
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