Jeff Perkins, Boxley’s Executive Vice President-Aggregates
There is an old quote from Thomas Cooper that says “Fraud and falsehood only dread examination. Truth invites it”. Not long ago a quarry operation could hide behind a gate. There was no such thing as local zoning ordinances. State and federal agencies such as the DMME, DEQ, MSHA, and EPA did not exist. The truth about how a company operated was behind the gate. Not so today.
Today a quarry is one of the most heavily regulated industries. The above mentioned government agencies are some of the regulators. It is not uncommon for the surrounding neighbors to play an active role by supplying feedback, positive or negative.
Additionally, several of our operations are located directly on major roads where drivers of more than 16,000 vehicles a day can view and judge our sites. The Blue Ridge and Fieldale operations are examples. The truth about how we operate at both Fieldale and Blue Ridge is not hidden behind a gate.
Are we perfect? No. The truth of the matter is that we aren’t perfect 100% of the time. However, we invite examination and welcome neighbors to tour our facilities and join in constructive dialogues to help make us better and to make the community a better place to live.
No one is perfect. For instance: Tiger Woods may hit a 300 yard drive 99/100 times. To take a video of the drive where he doesn’t reach 300 yards and label that as typical is falsehood. This type of falsehood deserves examination. A branch of an environmental activist group in Fieldale would have you believe that Boxley is not a good neighbor. We urge you to get the facts for yourself. We respect our neighbors and invite this type of examination.
A picture is worth a thousand words. The following are typical shots of our Fieldale quarry. We invite anyone to conduct further examination and would welcome the opportunity to give you a tour of any of our quarries.
Boxley is committed to having attractive and well maintained properties. This is a view as you approach the entrance to our Fieldale Quarry.
A view of the playground across from the Fieldale Quarry
A view of Jordan Creek as it runs through the Fieldale Quarry site. The Fieldale Quarry returns more water to Jordan Creek than is withdrawn. Over the past five years, the operation returned anywhere from 20 to 57 million gallons more each year than it withdrew. This helps keep Jordan Creek and its aquatic life healthy.
View of Route 220 from the Fieldale Quarry Site
Boxley designs its sites with forest, berms and additional land to provide substantial buffer between our operations and our neighbors. The proposed Flat Creek quarry will utilize 100 acres on a 488-acre site.
