CASPER — An army of opposition nearly 200 strong gathered at a southwest Casper meeting room Thursday evening to mobilize their fight against a potential gravel pit at the base of Casper Mountain.
Concerns center on silica dust blowing over the city, home values, water tables and the impact on wildlife in a non-motorized section of state-owned land.
People signed petitions, picked up copies of government officials’ phone numbers and scrutinized a map that shows five 640-acre sections that have been selected by Prism Logistics of Casper to explore for mining potential.
Phone calls to the governor’s office and other state officials were encouraged and Natrona County Commissioners at the meeting were asked to use their clout to stop any gravel train before the brakes are released.
In a text to Cowboy State Daily, Prism Logistics Manager Kyle True, who secured an exploratory permit from the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality to investigate the area’s gravel mining potential, emphasized nothing has been decided.
“We haven’t even proposed anything yet, nor worked with the DEQ to assess operating parameters,” he said. “So, we’re willing continue until we have facts to base a decision on.”
LMO And Water
Casper resident Jason Knopp lives adjacent to the non-motorized School Section parcel that hosts wildlife and is used for trail running, hunting, hiking and other recreation.
He married into the Coates family that operates Field Creek Ranch, which was established in 1905, and outlined to the crowd Thursday night how Prism Logistics could potentially use a limited mining operation (LMO) law to start the pit with 15 acres, then expand it once state requirements were fulfilled.
Knopp, who owns his own engineering company in Casper, said he has a lot of experience working with the DEQ and believes the LMO approach is relatively easy to obtain. It was created for farmers and ranchers to prevent “government overreach.”
“There is no oversight, there is no regulation that goes along with that,” he said. “There is a one-page application that goes to the DEQ and they look it over and call it good. True has to give everyone within a mile notice before they begin operating.”
He said the LMO would allow Prism to get a “footprint” in the area that would make fulfilling the regulations involved with a “small mining operation” easier.
Knopp said the Coates family ranch has water rights in the area and the family’s biggest concern is how a gravel mine would impact the water.
“No one understands how that water works or how it goes through all that gravel. So, when they open up this gravel pit they are actually digging through our water,” he said. “It all surfaces eventually, and if you disturb any part of that pattern then water changes direction and your water rights are gone.”
‘Big Dog’ Letters
He offered a drafted letter to all water rights owners in the Casper Mountain Landowners Association so they could advocate against the mine to the “big dog” at the Wyoming State Engineer’s Office who oversees water rights as well as the DEQ.
Knopp also responded to a question about getting a lawyer to represent property owners, and he said that’s begun.
Casper mountain resident Gregg Werger told the crowd that while he was at his house earlier this month, he saw a backhoe on the non-motorized School Section, Section 36. He called the sheriff’s department. A deputy arrived, spoke with the backhoe operator and was shown the exploratory permit obtained by Prism Logistics do perform exploratory mining.
“On Feb. 18, a Sunday night, we get a knock on the door and it is Mr. Kyle True,” he said. “He came into my house and explained he was Prism Logistics and he was going to build a gravel pit on one or more of five sections.”
Werger said True explained the process and told him, “Gregg, it’s really a done deal. And I said, ‘Well, I’m your resistance. Everybody is going to know what you are going to do and we’re going to stop you.’”
The audience applauded in support.
Werger encouraged residents to continue contacting state officials about the proposed gravel mining and to attend the next county commission meeting to voice opposition. He said True told him plans call for “24-hour crusher operations.”
“Somebody predicted with the winds we had this week 60% of Casper would be affected by silica san crystals,” Werger said. “It is mind boggling to me that we have gone this far without any of us knowing that.”
The source of that 60% information or how accurate it is was not available as of the time this story was published.
Safety Concerns
Those at the meeting also raised concerns over safety from the dust and silica mining gravel could produce.
Natrona County Commission Chairman Peter Nicolaysen told the crowd that his understanding was that any mining that occurs would first need a land use permit from the county, which would have to ultimately be approved by the county commission.
The commission has not yet received a land use permit request from Prism.
In his text to Cowboy State Daily, True stated that “even a small 15-acre disturbance, if it if it is anticipated to last over six months, requires a conditional use permit from the county.”
“I’m not an expert on this, but that is the understanding we got from the county planner with whom we worked months ago in preparation for our testing,” he wrote.
Plea To Officials
Casper resident Michael Fernald asked the commissioners and state Rep. Steve Harshman, who represents the area and was on a Zoom link, to advocate against the mine.
“None of us have the ability to approve or disapprove this mine, but you represent us and we are here telling you that we don’t want this mine. We don’t want the gravel pit, and we are willing to offer our services and our time to make sure the state understands our concerns,” he said. “We ask you to speak up as well.”
Harshman told Cowboy State Daily on Tuesday that he has received “hundreds” of calls about the proposed mine. He has been encouraging residents to call the governor’s office as well.
“I am really appreciative of the people reaching out to me,” he said. “This is democracy in action.”
Lifelong Casper Mountain resident Paul Roberts was part of that “action” when he picked up the microphone Thursday to encourage resistance to the mine. He told the crowd that he lives with a gravel pit at the end of his block.
“It’s created a lot of problems, especially to our homes,” he said. “It’s sandblasted the siding right off of my house.”
Casper resident Jason Knopp lives adjacent to the school creek section and married into a long-time ranching family in Casper. He said the family is concerned about how gravel mining would affect their water rights. (Dale Killingbeck, Cowboy State Daily) 
Nearly 200 residents from Casper gathered Thursday night to solidify efforts against any gravel mining at the base of Casper Mountain. (Dale Killingbeck, Cowboy State Daily)
Dale Killingbeck can be reached at dale@cowboystatedaily.com.
