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When did the quarry go in and how long will it remain in operation? Savage Stone (Chase Land, LLC) started operation in 2006. It has about 12 years remaining as of 2018.
UPDATE: A DRRA has been approved by the county to allow the quarry (Chase Land, LLC) to continue operating the quarry for an additional 25 years (if needed) as of 2019.
What will likely happen after the quarry ceases operation? The owner of the quarry has previously stated that the hole would be allowed to fill in with water to become a small lake and the land around it would be sold to a developer for homes. This is the final outcome for most quarries.
Who currently owns the property where the proposed school would exist? On September 12th, 2019 the county took ownership of the land from the quarry. On October 7th, 2019 it was transferred to the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS).
How large is the land where the Jessup school would exist? 77 acres. Plans have been drawn to put both a high school and elementary school on that property. There will also be a roadway called Ridgely’s Run Rd. that will run by the schools between Route 1 and Mission Rd. at the intersection of Redondo Way.
Does CSX railroad still use the track next to the quarry? I was told back in the Spring of 2017 by the owner of the quarry that CSX stated it is still an active railroad. However, recent satellite imagery appears to show the track is no longer continuous from Rt.1 to Mission Rd. Even if it is still active, CSX has only used it to occasionally park freight cars for the past several years. There are no businesses beyond the quarry, or even the quarry itself, that utilize the railway.
How frequently does blasting occur (# of times/week)? There are 2 blasts a week. Each blast lasts about 2.5 seconds (~50 charges that are 50 mSec apart). No blasting has ever occurred in the early mornings, evenings, at night or on the weekends. During a school week, the blasting would occur 0.004% of the time.
What precautions does the quarry currently take to mitigate dust? As I recall from a meeting years ago, they wet roadways and rocks to minimize dust. As far as I know, nobody in our neighborhood has had any issue with dust from the quarry. Perhaps it also helps that we are on the southwest side of the quarry and prevailing winds rarely blow from the northeast and when they do, it is a damp ocean breeze.
What environmental studies have been conducted on the site so far and what were the results? To quote our previous county executive, Allan Kittleman, “Numerous environmental and air quality assessments, along with the State Interagency Committee on School Construction (IAC) recommendation have been completed on this property, none of which indicated any reason not to proceed with the acquisition of this property for a school site.”
Would public transportation be available for the Mission Rd. Site? According to the Site Analysis Report public transportation would be available and would be within walking distance of the proposed school.
Will Mission Rd. be the main entrance for the schools? For the high school, the main entrance will be Route 1 for busses, however, it is possible that there could be one or two school busses that would use Mission Road. For the elementary school, Mission Road would be the main entrance.
