Mining vs. local control: Casper-area candidates address the gravel pit

Few political candidates in Wyoming — where resource extraction underpins the economy — want to be seen as anti-mining. But a proposed gravel pit outside Casper has area voters clambering for politicians willing to take a stand on the issue, at least in this controversial instance.

The proposed gravel mine near several neighborhoods at the base of Casper Mountain has inspired more than 17,000 signatures in opposition since the developer’s plans came to light earlier this year. Opponents have taken aim at the developer, the state office that approved the mining leases without debate or direct notice to neighbors and county officials for not taking a definitive stance to stop it.

The public outcry places both longtime incumbents in the area, as well as their political challengers, in a position to potentially differentiate themselves on a specific local issue that could have broad statewide implications. With the primary and general election fast approaching, opponents and other stakeholders say they want to know where local candidates stand on the issue.

“I haven’t really heard of any candidates speaking for it,” area resident and opponent to the project Chris Navarro told WyoFile recently. “I just can’t see [that a candidate] would want to publicly go up against [opponents].”

WyoFile surveyed local legislative candidates in contested races and found the overwhelming majority oppose Prism Logistics’ gravel mining plan as proposed, based on likely impacts to nearby residents. Candidates who responded to WyoFile’s inquiries also echoed concerns raised by project opponents and others around Wyoming that reforms are long overdue for how officials assess the value of state lands and how they regard agricultural, extractive and conservation uses, as well as the vetting and public notice process in how those lands are used.

The issue

The State Board of Land Commissioners — composed of the governor, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor and superintendent of public instruction — last year approved gravel mining exploration permit applications for several sections of state trust lands clustered at the base of Casper Mountain on the west side of Casper. The applications, submitted by Prism Logistics Manager Kyle True, were part of a consent agenda and therefore not discussed by the board in detail prior to the board’s unanimous vote approving them. Residents who live adjacent to the state lands only learned of the leases early this year after inquiring about test digs in the area and were stunned to learn the state lands had been approved for a potential gravel mining operation without direct notice to neighbors or the county.

Such industrial activity would disrupt the area, opponents say, which is near hundreds of residential homes. The state lands are also popular for hiking and biking. A gravel mine would also hammer roads with heavy truck traffic, opponents say, and potentially harm local creeks and aquifers where hundreds of residents rely on shallow domestic water wells.

True is preparing to file a “limited mining operation” application with the Department of Environmental Quality, which is essentially a rubber-stamp process that doesn’t require pre-environmental analysis of potential impacts. However, True has said that his plan all along has been to follow up with a “large mining” permit application, which does require such analysis. True has promised to limit the operational footprint of the gravel mine to no more than 30 acres, which will migrate through the area over the course of several years.

True has committed to several voluntary measures to minimize industrial impacts to neighbors, including only operating during daylight hours, road maintenance and dust control, and offsite rock-crushing operations. He has also promised to replace water wells or provide an alternative source of water if domestic or agricultural water wells are harmed by the mining activity.

Though he supports a rigorous dialog, including among local candidates, True said he believes any legislative policy discussions will likely have no legal implications for his mining plans because new laws are not typically applied retroactively.

“There seems to be an idea out there that, ‘Let’s just get together and discuss how we want to use the state land,'” True told WyoFile. “And I’m all about conversation, but we’ve been listening to concerns that are relevant to the existing state law and existing State Constitution.”

The issue is also a matter of discussion at the county level where eight candidates are vying to fill two up-for-election seats on the Natrona County Board of Commissioners. Natrona is among a handful of counties that exercise the option of a “conditional use permit” to potentially deny such activities or apply stipulations such as operating hours and road upgrades to mitigate impacts.

There’s also an ongoing discussion about how much say county governments should have over the use of state lands. In the wake of the Casper Mountain gravel pit controversy, the State Lands and Investments Board, which also consists of the state’s top five elected officials, has maintained that county-level tools such as conditional use permitting may not supersede the state’s authority over activities on state trust lands.

Beyond Prism’s own mining plans, the issue has drawn more attention to a brewing debate among lawmakers: the use of state lands, which were set aside by the federal government at statehood .

The state has prioritized grazing, oil and gas development and mining on “school sections” for the revenue those activities generate to support K-12 schools. But conservation groups, and now many Casper area residents, have argued that other uses, such as habitat conservation and recreation, should receive priority in areas where industrial activities might not be appropriate.

Legislators are also engaged in discussions about reforming the permitting, bonding and public notice requirements for activities on state lands, as well as expanding parameters for what qualifies as “limited” and “small” mining operations in regulatory considerations at the Department of Environmental Quality.

Senate candidates

Among the two contested senate races in the region, four of five candidates say they are against Prism’s gravel mining proposal moving forward.

In Senate District 28 , both incumbent Jim Anderson (R-Casper) and challenger Bryce Reece (Republican) said the area simply is not conducive to mining for its close proximity to homes.

Anderson told WyoFile that Prism should have looked to site its operation elsewhere, where there would be less impact. His comments also targeted Secretary of State Chuck Gray for his initial yes vote on the project, given his previous representation of the community in the state House.

Though he supports gravel mining in the state, Reece said, he hopes Prism can find an alternative location. He faults the State Board of Land Commissioners for failing “to do an adequate amount of due diligence and assessment of the potential conflicts that would arise with this proposal prior to their issuing the leases to Prism,” he said in a prepared statement.

However, Reece added, he’s disappointed in personal attacks launched at True and his family — and in some instances, elected officials — and said opponents of the project need to engage in the process and offer alternatives.

“It is not enough to simply say ‘NO!’ when a proposal that may generate significant revenue to the schools from those lands comes forward,” Reece said. “If you want that activity stopped then you should be ready to bring forward an alternative to the state land board that will provide replacement for those dollars.”

In Senate District 30 , incumbent Charles Scott (R-Casper) and Republican challenger Robert Hendry both oppose the project.

“We’ve got plenty of places to get [gravel] that aren’t so closely inhabited,” Scott said. “I think it’s a mistake to proceed with this gravel pit because it’s going to be just too destructive.”

The longtime legislator suggested OSLI staff erred in not flagging Prism’s state lease mining request when it came before the board last year, instead placing it on the board’s consent agenda.

“The five elected [SLIB board members] ought to be quite furious with the staff that got them into this,” Scott said.

Hendry, a former Natrona County Commissioner who operates two gravel pits of his own, said Wyoming needs more gravel mining. “But that is not the area,” he told WyoFile, referring to Prism’s proposal in the Coates Road area. The volume of heavy trucking that such an operation would require in the sparsely populated residential area would create a “public hazard,” he added.

A third Republican, Senate District 30 challenger Charles Schoenwolf said, “Mr. True and his family have been extremely caring, compassionate and giving of their time, energy and money not only to the community of Natrona County, but across the entire state of Wyoming for many decades.”

However, he added, “the concerns raised by the community are justified and need serious considerations.

“I believe this will come down to an ethical question for Mr. True,” Schoenwolf continued. “What choice does one make when you have a legal and legitimate right to proceed with your current plans, but hundreds of your neighbors are unhappy about it?”

If he is elected, Schoenwolf said, his actions as senator would reflect how the majority of his constituency feels about the issue.

House candidates

Among the six contested House races in the region, most candidates who responded to WyoFile’s inquiries said they are against Prism’s project moving forward.

In House District 38 , Republican challenger Jayme Lien said she’s particularly concerned about the potential threat to water wells. “This puts many homes in a situation where water will need to be hauled in, or new wells drilled,” Lien told WyoFile. “Ethically, Mr. True needs to find another pit for profit.”

House District 38 incumbent Tom Walters (R-Casper) said he not only opposes the gravel mine, but the state should rescind its permits for the project. He also supports the Natrona County Board of Commissioners in exercising a conditional use permit regarding the proposal, he told WyoFile.

The Legislature needs to rethink how the state regards state land use priorities, he said.

“Some state parcels may have a greater benefit that is not financial,” he told WyoFile. “The Legislature needs to create a framework to deal with this situation.”

In House District 57 , Republican challenger Julie Jarvis said she supports the Casper Mountain Preservation Alliance, which opposes the project.

Incumbent Jeanette Ward (R-Casper) declined to provide a response to WyoFile’s inquiries.

House District 35 incumbent Tony Locke (R-Casper) said whether Prism’s plans should move forward is best left to county officials while recognizing the state has a constitutional obligation to produce revenue from state lands. “I think we would all agree that we love our mountain and this might be an opportunity for Natrona County to work with the state to make agreements on how state land on Casper Mountain may be used.”

His challenger in the Republican primary, Christopher Dresang, opposes the project for what he sees as a violation of private property rights and a failure among state officials for allowing the situation to escalate. “I would support legislation that ensures landowners are shielded from the state utilizing state land in ways that diminish their freedom and liberty to use their land as they see fit,” Dresang said. “This includes addressing issues like the gravel mine proposal, where state land use will negatively impact private property rights.”

House District 56 Republican candidates Elissa Campbell and Pete Fox both oppose the Casper Mountain gravel pit.

“I think the residents’ concerns regarding impacts to Coates Road, water quality and air quality are credible,” Campbell said, adding that she believes counties and municipalities should have more control over activities on state lands that impact their communities. “While I support Wyoming’s mining industry, I believe other locations would be less impactful to residents and more respectful of the spaces we enjoy.”

Fox said he hopes for a compromise that all parties agree on, but the project, as proposed, should not move forward.

“In general, certainly we should use our state lands in productive and efficient manners,” Fox said. “However, this particular parcel has so many primary and secondary knock-on effects which enflame such visceral resentment across our community, I struggle to see how this particular project should move forward.”

House District 58 incumbent Bill Allemand (R-Midwest) said he does not want to see laws passed that will make it more difficult to mine gravel in the state. However, he’d prefer to see Prism’s proposed operation move to another location, particularly for the threat it might pose to water wells in the Coates Road area.

“I also think that Kyle True is a gentleman,” Allemand told WyoFile. “He’s working very hard with these people to address their problems. I don’t think he can address them, but Kyle True has been a gentleman.”

His challenger in the primary, Tom Jones, said he’d like to see the mining proposal “stopped.”

“There are a lot of places to mine gravel and I don’t feel that is the right place,” Jones said. “The water aquifer is a major concern, along with the roads up there are not built to handle the big equipment.”

House District 62 Republican candidate Kevin Campbell said he believes both the state and Prism followed the laws and rules in place, but he doesn’t support the project moving forward. His primary concerns are for the “individual liberties of the citizen,” he said, as well as the potential for the project to harm water wells.

“I don’t think anybody had any bad intentions with this,” Campbell said. “I’m hoping Prism and the state can work out some sort of agreement.”

House Districts 62 and 56 candidates for the Republican nominations Edis Allen and Pamela Mertens did not provide responses to WyoFile’s inquiries.

Natrona County Commission

Eight candidates are vying for two open seats on the Natrona County Board of Commissioners. In a July 22 commission candidate forum , three candidates did not expressly oppose Prism’s gravel mining proposal moving forward.

Incumbent Dave North declined to express a position based on the fact that the county expects to receive a conditional use permit application from Prism, and he intends to withhold judgment until he sees it.

Paul Bertoglio, a former Natrona County Commissioner and Casper Mayor, said he’s also reserving a position on the issue until Prism’s conditional use permit is filed with the county.

Arthur Youngberg, a former Powder River Basin coal miner, said he still has a lot of detailed questions about Prism’s proposal and some doubts about how it can move forward before he can take a position on it.

Wyoming’s primary election is Aug. 20. To learn more about Wyoming candidates for federal and legislative races check out WyoFile’s 2024 Election Guide .

The post Mining vs. local control: Casper-area candidates address the gravel pit appeared first on WyoFile .