GARDEN RIDGE, TX – Texans for Responsible Aggregate Mining (TRAM) commends the City of Garden Ridge for its recent unanimous vote to hire mining consultant Jill Shackelford to assist in forming a Citizen Advisory Council (CAC) to address aggregate production operations (APOs).
The community initiative to address local concerns related to quarrying and aggregate mining is a collaboration between local stakeholders including APO operators, residents, local governments, and others. This action was prompted by recent and forecasted growth in quarrying activities in and around Garden Ridge, including the planned expansion of Heidelberg Materials, a German-owned international mining company.
"I am proud of our city for taking this step,” said Garden Ridge Councilmember Lisa Swint. “I look forward to working with the quarries and the community to develop productive relationships, resolve issues, and promote the adoption of appropriate best practices at the quarries and associated operations in our area."
Jill Shackelford, a former owner and operator of a quarry and asphalt plant in Hays County and an expert in helping APOs increase transparency and communication to better address community concerns, will lead this initiative. Shackelford previously assisted Kerr County in forming a similar advisory council in 2023 that succeeded in creating a list of voluntary best management practices for gravel mining in the county.
Garden Ridge aims to replicate that success to ensure responsible development and community well-being are prioritized as the aggregates industry grows in the vicinity of the city. Top concerns for Garden Ridge residents include: the aggregate industry’s impacts on local air quality, road safety, noise and light pollution, as well as the seismic activity associated with blasting at the quarries.
Long-term concerns include impacts on water quality, water consumption (mining is responsible for approximately 20% of groundwater use in Comal County), and the future of the land once mining is complete and large pits are all that remain.
"Texans for Responsible Aggregate Mining congratulates the City of Garden Ridge,” said Cliff Kaplan, Secretary of TRAM. “We have participated in the Kerr County APO Advisory Council and have found it to be highly productive. Several of the operators there have taken steps to incorporate locally recognized best practices, reducing the negative impacts of industrial operations on residents. Local advisory councils are vitally important as no other effective mechanisms exist in Texas for communities and industry to collaboratively address concerns and long-term planning.”
TRAM encourages all interested parties in Garden Ridge to get involved in shaping its Community Advisory Council. A balanced and informed dialogue is essential to ensuring that aggregate production remains sustainable while addressing the concerns of those impacted by mining operations.
To learn more about how to establish a CAC in your area, contact TRAM by emailing info@tramtexas.org.