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in the non winter months. Use in the warmer months will be the most irrvasive to the <br />residents, as that is when people attempt to sleep with windows opeq and spead more <br />time outdoors. <br />The opening of this valley amrs directly at homes sitvate8 in the Ward Creek <br />Valley or on Elie ridge du~ectly west of (here.lVoise and dust from the operation will <br />adversely affect these residences. Also, noise and dust from fhe crusher operatedhy i<ce <br />Belden affected residences both north and south of fhe Belden shale pit. Although flie <br />shale pit is not visr~ite from these residences the noise was reffected-off the canyon walls. <br />This operation was quite minimaCwmpared to what is tolie expected-from this new <br />development. There are at least IZ residences up valley wltlilu'/. mile of the operation <br />whicfi will-not see the operation but wlii fiear ii. it is reasonable to assume that residences <br />hi direct line of sigh"t of the operatiion will be affected 1iy noise. As descn`tied earlier, there <br />are at least 69 residences wliioh fallurto this category. `Itiat makes about 81 residences <br />whioli can expect significant impact firm noise and/or dust. Y9rere is no way to <br />satisfactorily mitigate these impacts. <br />"remoteness of the location" Area is not at all remote. The operation will fie <br />directly visible to at least 20 residences located with'h mile south of the ridge top , at <br />least 4 residences located withia'/~ mile to the west of the operation, and at least 42 <br />residences located between''/z and 1 % miles to the northwest. There are 3 residences <br />located directly to the north in sight ofthe operation. There are at least i2 residences up <br />valley within'/, mile of the operation which will not see the operation but will hear it. It is <br />reasonable to assume that residences in direct line of sight ofthe operation will be <br />affected by noise. As described earlier, there are at least 69 residences which fall into this <br />category. That makes about 81 residences which can expect significant impact from noise <br />and dust. On a topographic map of the area I have located 2b residences within 1/4 mile <br />of the site, 44 residences within % mile, and 78 residences within'/, mile of the site. A <br />partial ta11y of residences within 2-1/4 miles of the site brings the count to 195, but this is <br />probably only about 213 of the actual total. This is a rather densely populated area, and <br />this development is in no way compatible with adjacent land uses. Note that the heavy <br />truck traffic, and noise from joke brakes, will affect many more residences up and down <br />the valley than I have tallied here. <br />High ridges on three sides will reduce the effects of noise and dust: The <br />Belden crushing operation in the same valley has produced considerable noise and dust <br />annoyance to the neighbors, and the proposed Benson operation will be much larger. <br />Estimates from Benson Brothers of 85 decibels of noise 500 feet from the cnusher is not <br />compatible with this residential area. We were unable to get an estimate of generator <br />noise anticipated. Note that the racket of bulldozing of material from high on the south <br />ridge of the valley and the backup alarms associated with the same will be part of the <br />operations. The operator is not planning to mist the bulldozing operation to reduce dust <br />clouds. It is expected that this activity will release the most particulate matter of the <br />whole operation. <br />Watering the road: may control dust from truck traffic, and misting the crusher <br />(as promised by Bensons) may help with dust from that operation, but direct <br />communication with the Benson brothers indicates that they cannot control the dust from <br />removal of material from the slopes. This will in fact be a major cause of dust. <br />