Residents fight against quarry

Bozrah, Conn. (WTNH) - Residents that are concerned about a quarry coming to Bozrah may sleep a little more easily, and that might have something to do with a little lawmaker muscle.

Crush the quarry, that may be what these lawmakers were able to do.

After a meeting with the owner of Rawson Materials at the state house, Bozrah's first selectman got a call from Jeff Rawson.

Bill Ballinger, the First Selectman, said, "He wanted to let me know personally that they had decided to pull the permits permit applications for the quarry didn't elaborate on why."

The proposed quarry, which would have sat on 95 acres off of Brush Hill Road and overlooked the center of town, could have created 8 jobs and $90,000 a year in taxes, but residents say it would have crushed the town's quality of life and other industries.

Rep. Kevin Ryan said, "Such as an egg farm, the air gas, even the TVCCA that prepares foods were concerned about it, its proximity to the school as well as the town hall."

"We kept telling them it's not the company, it's not Rawson, it's not what they do, it's where they wanted to do it," said Ballinger.

Edith Prague said, "We don't mind if there's a quarry but it's got to be in an appropriate place not in the middle of town which would have destroyed the whole little town of Bozrah."

Over the 30 year life of the quarry, a 350 foot hill would reportedly have been reduced to 170 feet, and large trucks would have come through town daily.

Ed Hadley owns a local inn and signed a petition against it. He said, "I was glad to hear they withdrew it because we don't need that in this town it wasn't gonna do anything for the town that I can see."

Rawson Materials has yet to come in and cancel it's permit application, but the first selectman expects the company will do so.