The Marion County Planning Commission voted to approve a proposed zoning ordinance amendment to be submitted as a recommendation to the Marion County Council, regarding mining and extraction operations.
The Commission had a public hearing on April 28 to discuss the changes to Section 5-8 of the Marion County Zoning Ordinance. No members of the public attended.
Commission Chairman Edwin Stephens ran down a list of concerns of the Commission and addressed the issue of how to regulate mining operations.
Stephens said the Commission was given the task by County Council in February to help resolve the issue of the large number of sand mining companies doing business in the southern part of the county.
“The concerns that were voiced to us by the council was ... that mining operations were becoming more and more, and we needed additional regulations on this particular type of operation,” he said. A lot of soil and sand is being removed he said, adding that reclamation plans and prevention to insure that mass erosion doesn’t occur and other concerns would become a larger issue. After a Feb. 27 joint meeting between County Council and the Planning Commission, members learned what the top priorities are for the group. Senior Planner Levonne Powell said there are several mining operations in the county, with about 12 permitted.
“We did not dream this up,” Stephens said of the newly developed section that will be submitted to council. Commission members credited Stephens for composing the replacement to the existing provisions.
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