Pile of mineral fines is damaged.
By: Kara Fitzpatrick
MONTGOMERY April showers might bring May flowers, but they also could impose complications on the stormwater management system at 3M’s Belle Mead quarry.
As a result of the high amount of precipitation earlier this month, the plant’s mineral fines pile experienced "tremendous" runoff, said Gwen Farley, co-chair of the township Environmental Commission.
"We’ve had a very wet winter," said plant manager Keith Jacobs. He said the fines pile, an about 60-acre heap of residue from the quarrying process, has endured significant washout. "We’ve raised the red flag," Mr. Jacobs said.
The fines pile is in the process of being reshaped as part of an effort by 3M to clean up the site after township-wide complaints and monetary penalties from the state Department of Environmental Protection.
"It’s like there is good news and there is bad news," Ms. Farley said. She said although the bad news is that too much water collecting on top of the fines pile likely caused the runoff, the good news is that 3M is "intent on cleaning it up."
According to both Ms. Farley and Mr. Jacobs, the 3M quarry has already been granted permission by corporate headquarters to clean up the fines. Mr. Jacobs said this week that most of the runoff damage has already been repaired. He said 3M will continue to repair and re-seed the damaged fines pile.
Mr. Jacobs said 3M has already had three engineering companies assess the problem to determine if measures should be taken to prevent a similar occurrence from happening again.
Ms. Farley said "very little (fines) came off their property" with most of the blowout from the pile drifting into one of the stormwater-management-system basins.
"They will have to clear that basin," Ms. Farley said.
Ms. Farley said the 3M Quarry Technical Advisory Committee has asked for a report in mid-May. Overall, Ms. Farley said, she is satisfied with 3M’s response to the problem.
3M is rounding the corner to completion of a plant-wide stormwater-management system at the Belle Mead quarry, which began last spring. The project may have to be delayed as a result of this setback, Ms. Farley believes.
"It’s very disappointing, because they were literally so close to being done," Ms. Farley said.
Mr. Jacobs was reluctant to be specific about when the project would be completed.

