The approval will allow New Hope Crushed Stone & Lime to excavate limestone to a depth of 170ft below sea level at the quarry.
The quarry, which has been in operation since the 1930s, has already been permitted to mine limestone to 200ft below mean sea level, but approval must be granted at each 50ft increment to continue to the next level.
DEP’s review of the company’s application for the current expansion has been underway for two and a half years and has considered significant public input received through a series of meetings and correspondence.
DEP incorporated various permit conditions regarding the area’s geologic terrain and considerations related to the quarry’s impact to the area’s geology, involving the Pennsylvania Geologic Survey’s sinkhole expert in the review.
The DEP permit requires that the operator repair any sinkholes that might occur within and adjacent to the quarry’s hydrologic zone of influence, which includes Solebury School’s property.
