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Marblemount Quarry Permit Review Assumed by DNR, not Skagit County, Sparks Outcry
Skagit River Alliance reports that the Cascade Big Bear Mine environmental review and permitting process is currently being handled by Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) without any review, consultation, or input from Skagit County. This proposed huge mining operation is planned to be conducted by international corporation Martin Marietta (NYSE MLM) for the extraction and barging of jetty stone boulders for coastal armoring projects. This operation would have most, if not all, of the significant environmental impacts as the previous Kiewit proposal for which Skagit County intended to make a SEPA Determination of Significance and require a full Environmental Impact Study (EIS).
In accordance with SEPA regulations a local agency with jurisdiction, in this case Skagit County, is required to be the SEPA lead agency. Skagit River Alliance has raised this issue with Skagit County Planning and Development Services (SPDS) and is awaiting a response. The Mt. Baker Group of the Washington State Chapter Sierra Club (MBG) has also objected to DNR as the lead agency, recently reminding SPDS that under Washington SEPA regulations, private applicants fall under the permitting jurisdiction of local government, and that county rights should not be subverted by state agencies, especially when Skagit County has previously been involved in permitting the exact same site for very similar proposed mining operations. MBG asked that SPDS: (1) advise DNR of its error so that DNR can back away; (2) assume responsibility for the permitting of this significant project; and (3) require an EIS for the mine, as SPDS did for the Kiewit quarry proposal.
Concern for impacts to migratory birds and threatened and endangered species, the duration of the proposed mine, and uncertainty of the consequences to downstream water quality were cited by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) in its letter asking DNR to make a Determination of Significance on this project and to require an EIS to ensure a proper evaluation of the short and long term environmental impacts of this project. WDFW does not feel the current level of environmental review has enough information for making a threshold determination for a project with such a prolonged duration on the landscape.
Another concern is that the application included an SM-6 land verification form, signed by a previous SPDS director in 2006. SPDS has confirmed that DNR provided this old form to SPDS only to correct a small property elevation error. Skagit River Alliance’s review of available permit application materials and other materials obtained through Public Document Requests indicates that DNR provided SPDS with no other project plans, summaries, details, or other operational information that could have allowed SPDS to confirm the applicability of the 2006 SM-6 which in turn refers to the "pre-existing" zoning and land-use approval (1976 conditional use permit), for this new permit application.
All of the tribal nations in Skagit County have written letters to DNR expressing serious concerns with this application and DNR’s handling of it and have requested a full EIS. The Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe addressed their letter of “grave concern” to Governor Inslee and is awaiting a direct consultation meeting with the state.
New Comments and Articles

Opposition from Mount Baker Group of the Washington State Chapter of the Sierra Club
Nov. 13, 2020
Swinomish Tribal Community says "no permit should issue without a complete and thorough EIS."
Nov. 13, 2020Archived Articles
On September 16, 2019, citizens were informed by the county that Kiewit is pulling out of both the permit application process and the comprehensive plan amendment process, "Marblemount Quarry", PL19-0033. The information in this archive, along with over 800 citizen comments to our county, was part of the process that helped defeat this massive project. The new proposal, “Cascade Big Bear Mine”, DNR permit number 70-013279, is for 20 years and different is scale, but most of the environmental, health, economic and other concerns remain the same. This archive is presented as a reference and background relevant to the new proposal. The full application for last year’s threat and all comments sent to the county are still available here

Skagit Land Trust Requests “Threshold Determination of Significance” and a Full Environmental Impact Statement
May 25, 2019
Skagit Audubon Society: An Environmental Impact Statement Should be Required
Aug. 10, 2019
Anything Short of a Full Study of These Impacts Would Undermine SEPA’s Purpose
July 22, 2019
The Swinomish Tribe’s Response to a Dismissive Letter to Skagit County From Kiewit’s Attorneys
July 22, 2019
Skagit River Alliance Letter to U. S. Senators Cantrell and Murray, U. S. Reps Larson, Kilmer, Jayapal, Schrier, Smith and Heck
June 12, 2019
Mount Baker Group of the WA State Chapter of the Sierra Club Opposes Permitting Quarry Mine
May 13, 2019
RE Sources for Sustainable Communities Sees Many Damaging Impacts of Quarry Mine
May 5, 2019
Join Mark and Joan in Urging Your Outdoor Recreation Organization to Oppose Quarry Mine
May 6, 2019
Kiewit’s proposed mining activities are expressly prohibited by Skagit County zoning
July 15, 2019
Proposed Marblemount Mine Site Cannot Be Permitted Without Comprehensive Plan Revision
April 27, 2019
Seattle City Light Sees Significant Adverse Environmental Effects of Proposed Quarry Mine
April 26, 2019
Marblemount Permit Application: Kiewit’s Use of the Term “Expansion” is Misleading
April 16, 2019
Skagit River System Cooperative’s Letter Requesting Extension of Public Comment Period and Environmental Impact Statement
April 1, 2019
Kiewit’s proposed mining activities are expressly prohibited by Skagit County zoning
April 14, 2019
Swinomish Indian Tribal Community Letter Requesting Extended Comment Period and Environmental Impact Statement
March 31, 2019
American Rivers’ Letter Asking for an Environmental Impact Statement for Quarry Mine
March 16, 2019
Vancouver, WA, Company Trying to Leverage Old Gravel Pit Permit to Blow Up Mountain
March 16, 2019Help anyway you can
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