Letter to the editor

To the editor:

An open letter to the county commissioners

Dear Sirs and Madams:

My name is Donald Gene Gilreath Jr. and I live on the southwest corner of the proposed, let’s call it what it will be, rock pit. I currently own my place and cannot afford to move away to escape this possible impending disruption to all the residents of Montbrook, and perhaps the residents of Williston as well, once the blasting starts.

I live here because it is quiet, just one of the local attributes that will cease to exist if the special exemption is granted for the rock pit.

The others include air quality from the dust and diesel exhaust and wildlife diversity from the loss of 98 acres of pasture habitat.

Despite what the ecological survey submitted with the application says, I have lived here for over 10 years and have observed endangered species such as the blue indigo snake, gopher tortoise, kestrel and swallow tailed kite on, over, and around the property. But if I did not want to find these denizens then I would have looked when the survey was performed–in the middle of winter.

Just this past week I observed a pair of swallow tailed kites hunting over the proposed pit property and feeding their young offspring the fruits of their labors so despite what the survey says there is nesting habitat in the area–the beautiful view to the north from CR322 and west from CR323.

The quality of our water and possibly even the our wells themselves from hydrological changes and/or damage that can and I believe will occur when 4.8 million gallons of water a month are removed from the ground, (100,000 gal/day X 6 days/week) X 4 weeks/month) = 4,800,000 gals/month and a 68 acre pit is dug which alone would cause the aquifer level to fall just from filling the pit.

Also pumping this volume of water from the aquifer will create what is known as a “cone of depression” in the surface of the aquifer around the well.

Any other well within this cone that is not drawing water from deep enough will go dry and have to add drop pipe or worse drill a deeper well (something else I can not afford).

The size of this cone is determined by the relative permeability of the limestone the water is being removed from and can be guessed at on paper but can not be exactly determined until it occurs.

The rural community atmosphere replaced by the problems that go along with heavy industry that is out of place. There are plenty of more appropriate places for this type of operation.

I and the rest of the aware residents of the area implore you to deny the special exemption for a rock pit in Montbrook.

Donald Gene Gilreath Jr.

P.S. All concerned citizens please join us at the commission metting Aug. 18 at 6:30 p.m.