WACO QUARRY CASE HITS SUPREME COURT

(09/10/2008)
The West Virginia Supreme Court is set to hear a case over a disputed sandstone quarry planned for a scenic area of Pocahontas County.

The court is scheduled to hear oral arguments September 23 in the state Department of Environmental Protection's attempt to reinstate its denial of Waco Oil and Gas's permit application for a 76-acre quarry near Huntersville.

The quarry has raised contentious objections related to its environmental impact.

DEP rejected Waco's application in 2002, saying the quarry would affect residents' use and enjoyment of their property, property values and the area's scenery.

The state Surface Mine Board upheld the decision in 2003, but it was later overruled by a Kanawha County Circuit judge.

The DEP maintains the case has dramatic implications for its ability to deny permits for a quarry with unacceptable adverse impacts.