JUNEAU, Alaska—
Juneau condominium owners living near Lemon Creek are upset about renewal of a permit to extract gravel.
The Juneau Empire says Secon has a permit allowing it to extract up to 35,000 cubic yards of gravel each year for six years. The company says without excavation the gravel will be washed downstream where it will fill in a streambed, perhaps causing flooding.
Secon operates when the ground is frozen so that it can get the heavy machinery to the extraction site. That means it must break through ice and frozen ground to get to the gravel beneath.
Half a dozen nearby residents testified to the planning commission that the work causes vibrations akin to a small earthquake. The commission is expected to take up the issue again Dec. 11.
