Wednesday night’s public hearing drew people from across the county, speaking for and against a PotashCorp-Aurora mining expansion permit.

The hearing took place at the County Administrative Office in Washington, and was presided over by Dr. Kenneth B. Taylor, a state geologist with North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Division of Energy, Mineral and Land Resources. Alongside Taylor were Land Quality State Mining Specialist Janet Boyer and Assistant State Mining Specialist Judy Wehner.

The public hearing was held in response to the number of letters the department had received in relation to PotashCorp-Aurora’s application for a permit to mine land off of Bonnerton Road. The land is owned by PotashCorp, but the fact that it abuts residences in the Bonnerton community led several people to speak out at the hearing.

Among the 28 people signed up to speak at the event were Beaufort County commissioners Robert Belcher, Gary Brinn, Ron Buzzeo, Hood Richardson and Frankie Waters; Washington Mayor Mac Hodges, Aurora Fossil Museum Director Cynthia Crane, Beaufort County Economic Director Martyn Johnson, Beaufort County Manager Brian Alligood, Beaufort County United Way Director Sally Love and North Carolina Estuarium Director Jackie Woolard. Most made reference to PotashCorp’s status as a good corporate citizen of Beaufort County, donating to causes as diverse as school feeding programs, the Police Activities League and many, if not most, community events across the county, like the Aurora Fossil Festival. According to Washington City Councilman and retired Texas Gulf engineer, who pioneered the company’s environmental program, “Texas Gulf has proven its stewardship of the land. … I know what it takes to get a permit. I know what a commitment it is and I know they would honor their commitment.”

The phosphate mining company, which has been mining in Beaufort County since 1964 as Texas Gulf, then PCS Phosphate, is also responsible for approximately 30 percent of the county’s property taxes.

“If not for PotashCorp, Beaufort County could not live in the manner in the way they have become accustomed,” Belcher said during his allotted time of three minutes.

The praise for PotashCorp’s community outreach and philanthropy did not alleviate the concerns of those who live in Bonnerton, however. While Wehner told speakers before the meeting that noise, increased truck traffic, property values and operating hours are not criteria DENR would consider in denying a permit under the Mining Act of 1971, Bonnerton residents aired some grievances, questions about the process and issues that will be considered by DENR.

For Carl Bonner, grandson of the Bonner for whom Bonnerton is named, the concern is the results mining may have on the land. Bonner spoke about the changes past mining has brought to the landscape, including the disappearance of a creek.

“I don’t want PCS stopped. I don’t want the mining stopped. I just want to make sure that Durham Creek doesn’t go the way of Lee Creek,” Bonner said.

PotashCorp, in submitting the permit application to the state, included an extensive erosion and sedimentation control plan and is required to restore two acres of wetlands for every one acre mined, which has come to a total of 8,600 acres of restored wetlands so far.

Bernard Moore, who has worked with the mining company for 39 years, addressed increased truck usage tearing apart state roads and who is responsible for repair, as well as the effects of mining on people’s homes and whether there would be any restitution.

“You cannot move this equipment this close to people’s homes and it not show effects,” said Bernard Moore said. “I would love to see them mine it, but I would love to see them deal with issues they’re confronted with later.”

According to Ray McKeithan, public affairs manager for PotashCorp, in the past 20 years, the company has twice mined near residential neighborhoods to no lasting effects on the land. Aurora resident and PotashCorp employee Bev Horvath lived in one of those neighborhoods where mining was done 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“They just finished mining my backyard, as many of you are looking forward to,” Horvath said. “When I say in my backyard, it was 300 feet. … It did get noisy but it wasn’t as noisy as I thought it would be.”

Bonnerton resident Patrick Moore said that he wanted the DENR panel to take into consideration that people live there.

“I don’t feel beholden to them because that’s my home,” Patrick Moore said. “If I walk out 20 feet, I’m in the belly of the beast once they start mining.”

For more information, visit portal.ncdenr.org/web/lr/mining. Written comments will be accepted until the permitting process is complete.