Aggregate puts draft Saugus closure plan on table

SAUGUS – Following the same path it’s taking in Peabody, Aggregate Industries has put a draft closure plan for its Broadway quarry on the table.Scott Colby, environmental and estates manager for Aggregate, said he wouldn’t attempt to guess when the quarry might actually close, but he understood the town’s need to begin discussion on it.Colby presented the Selectmen with the draft proposal Tuesday. He said typically quarries are closed in one of two ways, either by filling it in with a solid material or by letting it fill naturally with water.”We propose filling it with material,” he said.He also emphasized the proposal was a draft and merely a beginning to what he expects will be a long debate on how to arrive at a closure plan that’s acceptable to both Aggregate and the town.According to the draft proposal, the town will have plenty of time to discuss the issue. Under sequence of activities it is reported that it would take about 15 years to remove the rock reserves if mining were to continue. Once the mining were finished, Colby estimated it would take roughly 5 million cubic yards of material to essentially fill in the big hole left behind.Janet Leuci, who has been an Aggregate watchdog since the quarry opened, warned the board that the closure project would be massive and likely the largest project the town would undertake.Using the closure of Rowes Quarry in Revere as an example, Leuci pointed out it took 1 million cubic yards to close that quarry.”They’re proposing 5 million cubic yards of fill . . . that’s 200,000 truck loads,” Leuci said. “These figures give you a glimpse of the magnitude of this project.”Leuci said the town might want to look into hiring a consultant to guide the proceedings as was done when the Square One Mall was built. She cited the mall as a great example of a massive project that in the end benefited both the town and the business.”A good working committee is the way to go,” she added. “And I think down the road you will need a consultant.”Selectman Michael Kelleher noted that the closure would be a long, detailed process and suggested the board hold a future meeting dedicated solely to that discussion where resident concerns could be addressed as well.No date was set for the meeting but Colby said he would be more than happy to come back and make a detailed presentation on Aggregate’s closure plans and possible post-use.