Dear Neighbor,
Hello. As you may know, my name is Aron Keesecker and I am the plant manager at Stafford Quarry. I’ve
been with Vulcan for fifteen years and previously worked in product quality control and more recently was a
safety and health representative for this area. I am writing to update you on our current and future operations,
including rezoning and Conditional Use Permit applications that are pending before the County. We expect these
applications will soon proceed to public hearing by the Planning Commission following public notice.
What do we do at Stafford Quarry?
As you may know, we have been operating at this location since 1978. We will continue to provide essential
building materials for roads, homes, churches, medical facilities, local businesses and government projects in
Stafford County well into the next century. Basically, if you drive, live, work or go to school in the area, chances
are that you’re using or benefiting from our materials.
We make big rocks into small rocks. Our site consists of: two mining pits (West and East) where we extract granite
rock; a processing plant where we size, wash and mix products to meet customer and VDOT specifications; and
stockpile and shipping areas where we load customer trucks. We also directly supply Virginia Paving Company as
an on-site customer that produces asphalt pavement.
As we mine at Stafford, we’re also creating a future public asset that will serve the people of Stafford County for
generations to come. In partnership with the County, we are actively planning and developing our site to
eventually transition to a drinking water reservoir and recreation area to serve the future needs of the
community. This beneficial reuse of the land gives the County a cost-effective facility to continue to ensure a
stable and reliable source of drinking water to meet the long-term needs of the area while providing additional
public outdoor space for residents to enjoy.
How we do it
We follow detailed, engineered plans that account for geology, topography and operational considerations,
including efficiency, equipment and safety to guide our operation and responsible use of the land. Of the entire
546-acre site, we are only actively mining on a small portion at any one time. Today, our mining is focused in the
East Pit.
In addition to County rules and regulations, we maintain compliance with State and Federal permits and
regulations that dictate specific operating conditions to safeguard our employees, neighbors, community and
environment. These oversight bodies include: Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME),
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
We filed applications with the County to update operational plans
We plan in terms of decades and half centuries. So, from time to time, it’s necessary to update our approach. This
helps us plan ongoing capital investments and operate as efficiently as possible, including maximal utilization of
the natural resource we mine. It also affords the County an opportunity to help develop the most beneficial end
use of the site for the County and review our measures to maintain a safe and environmentally responsible
operation that respects our neighbors. Please reference the diagrams, including the large exhibit at the bottom of
the page.
With these goals in mind, our applications with the County:
- Consolidate a patchwork of proffer statements (voluntary commitments made by Vulcan) and conditional use
permits (which outline conditions for Vulcan’s use of the property) from the last 45 years into a single proffer
statement and permit to make it easier for the County to regulate the site and for Vulcan to ensure compliance. - Require Vulcan to convey the East Pit to the County by 2055.
On the East Side:
- Increase our total acreage by about 7% or 40 acres to optimize the East Pit design and the surface area of the
future water reservoir. - Add more than 1,700 linear feet of vegetated earthen berming and plantings for screening.
- Create more than 21 acres of buffer to screen the site.
- Preserve more than 3 acres as open space.
On the West Side:
- Add more than 4,200 linear feet of vegetated earthen berming and plantings for screening.
- Relocate the existing Wyche Road Vulcan Ready Mix Facility to the quarry making it easier to supply the
needed stone without hauling it from the quarry. - Relocating the Ready Mix site assists in the continued redevelopment of the Courthouse Road Area and building the new park and ride lots.
All of the existing safety and environmental regulatory requirements will be maintained. The operation of the
entire site will be regulated by the County under a unified proffer statement and conditional use permit.
What’s Next?
Once County staff completes their review of our applications, a Planning Commission hearing will be scheduled
and public notice of the meeting issued.
Where can you learn more and submit feedback?
We have established www.VulcanStaffordQuarry.com and a new Community Line to give you more convenient
ways to reach us and get updates about our operation and this proposal. We welcome any questions, comments
or suggestions you may have.
If you have questions or feedback, we have a variety of convenient ways for you to reach us:
1. Email us at VulcanStaffordQuarryCommunity@vmcmail.com
2. Call our Community Line at (540) 466-1558
3. If you would like to meet in person, members of our team will be available in 30-minute socially
distanced appointments, for up to three people per slot. We’ll be available from 3 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. on
Tuesday, March 23 and Wednesday, March 24 at the Mount Ararat Church (1112 Garrisonville Rd,
Stafford). Please visit www.VulcanStaffordQuarry.com/event before March 22 if you would like to meet.
If you need additional assistance, please (540) 466-1558.
In closing, I want to reiterate that our entire team is committed to growing our investment in Stafford
County and operating in a safe, socially and environmentally responsible manner.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Aron Keesecker
Plant Manager
Vulcan Materials Company ‐ Stafford Quarry
