Stuart Andrews, one of the residents trying to stop the expansion of the Westside Road gravel pit, went in search of the alternate gravel pit that the company confirmed it has at Monday’s public meeting. This e-mail to The Current describes what he found:
“Interoute confirmed that they have an alternate gravel pit. Turn left (west) off the Westside road 500 meters north of the entrance to the Westside
gravel pit. Drive 1,800 meters on the Jordan River road. As their alternate pit is outside of the Revelstoke city boundary they would not have to comply with City bylaws that limit noise, dust, and operating hours, which they say is a severe restriction to them.
“It has been said that if they don’t get the gravel from the Westside pit that it would have to come from Salmon Arm. The distance from Revelstoke to Salmon Arm is 100.8 km, a round trip of 201.6 km. The distance from the Westside pit to the alternate pit is 2.3 km, a round trip of 4.6 km. By using their alternate pit as opposed to hauling it from Salmon Arm they would realize a saving of 197 km.
“If, as they say, the sand and gravel in the alternate pit is not suitable for making concrete, there is a large sand and gravel deposit 3.5 km north of the Westside pit, on a paved road with an estimated reserve of 3 million cubic meters. I would think that sand and gravel would be suitable for making concrete. After all B.C. Hydro’s engineers considered it good enough for concrete for the construction of the Revelstoke Dam.”
