Stan wrote on Mar 26, 2008 11:30 PM:How can a huge quarry say it will produce no more pollution than the Mall? Ridiculous. Don't they know how our winds blow every afternoon?

General Disarray wrote on Mar 26, 2008 11:40 PM:What a steaming pile of methane-emitting material!

Have any of these doctors hiding behind their degrees actually read a single one of the air studies, or any actual literature on the dangers (or lack thereof) of silicosis to communities that surround mines in other areas?

If they claim they've ever read a peer-reviewed study on the dangerous health effectson quarries from silica to a surrounding community, they are lying, because they don't exist.

Silica is everywhere and in everything, and disturbed by every breeze in the mountains and every wave at the beach, and the only folks with any danger whatsoever are those who have to work directly in areas where there is grinding and crushing, and those people are monitored very closely and all safety procedures must be followed under penalty of OSHA, Cal-OSH, and AQMD amont others.

My dad was a PhD and my grandfather was a surgeon, and neither of them knew anything more about emissions from quarries than anybody else who actually bothers to read the studies rather than the hysterical harangues issued by the chicken littles at SOS.

You don't have to like this particular land use, but pretending it is some giant death trap (in spite of all evidence to the contrary) just to gin up opposition from people who don't know any better is demagoguery at its finest.

matt wrote on Mar 27, 2008 1:01 AM:is this company so greedy that they will continue to persue building this mine even with so many people opposing it? do they care about anything besides money?

macs stated wrote on Mar 27, 2008 2:00 AM:Comet and Ajax Cleaners have silica dust made from Granite in them.
Since last year at any National or state parks you are forbidden to put Comet around your tents or tire wheels to prevent ants from getting into your areas.
Why? The state scientists state that the run off on the ground or in the air contaminats the ocean and air biosphere.
Why would we "volunteer" with the future level 6 Hot Spots carbon monoixde of all throughout the low laying areas in Temecula from the soon to be in the nearest of futures Southernly Eastern bipass Federal/State/County/City Artery Expressway Freeway flowing 100,000 cars throughout our valleys.
If you put the freeway/the ozone dust/the carbon monoxide/silica dust plus the rating of the most solids presently in Riverside......Whow. How many cementaries did you say you're adding for our areas? The City of Temecula knows all of this; it's in their EIR for their 20 Year Planning regarding the freeway....And, they're doing it ANYWAY...... PERHAPS THATS WHY THE SMOG READERS HAVE BEEN OFF IN THE VALLEY FOR OVER TEN YEARS.

Go for it wrote on Mar 27, 2008 4:40 AM:The fundamental problem with "Save Our Southwest Hills" is that these hills are not YOUR hills. If you feel so strongly about "saving" them, your group should be willing to BUY them from Granite Construction Co. Did you guys ever hear about private property?

earth to matt wrote on Mar 27, 2008 7:42 AM:Who ever said that there are "so many people opposing it"? If you look at the percentage of opposers to residents, it's minuscule. The paper shows a "group" of people, including most of the city council, on the front page with a wide angle so it APPEARS that there are more than you think. I agree with "Go for it", if the city wants it that bad, let them buy it instead of building a mega-city hall. But I guess there's no revenue in that is there?

to Go for it wrote on Mar 27, 2008 8:42 AM:Even on private property you are not allowed to endanger other's lives. You and others that think the way you do need to open your eyes and think about what is happening to our environment and what it's doing to US. The environment belongs to all of us and WE need to stop putting toxins into it. What is it going to take for you to get it?

Rasta Man wrote on Mar 27, 2008 10:47 AM:Hey Go for it ,smoke another pack of Lucky Strikes and put two olives in that crystal goblet filled with top self. You can poison yourself but I'm going to stop you from poisoning me.

To General Disarray wrote on Mar 27, 2008 12:36 PM:Gee, any chance you work for or represent Liberty Quarry? You don't need to be a doctor to know that breathing silica dust is bad for your health. That said, following your logic, since silica dust is already omnipresent in trace amounts, we should just write it off and, in fact, exacerbate the situation by contributing as much silica dust into the air as humanly possible by blasting and transporting the spoils through Temecula.

Furthermore, you state that quarry workers are safe because they are protected by OSHA, Cal-OSH and AQMD. This comment is the real steaming pile of methane emitting material! The quarry workers are protected by respirators and other breathing apparatus to filter their air. Will you be providing respirators and breathing apparatus to the citizen's of Temecula? Perhaps that can be a Mitigation Measure for the project.

Finally, with respect to your claims that peer-reviewed silica studies do not exist, have you ever heard of the Internet? Check out links to several studies on the CDC website. If that doesn't convince you, you might want to read the 1,000 page EIR for the San Rafael Rock Quarry in Marin County. Even with the proposed mitigation measures, the reclamation plan for San Raphael would have "significant, unavoidable impacts on air quality, including a contribution to significant, unavoidable cumulative human health risks." The studies are out there and they are not hard to find.

Concerned-1 wrote on Mar 27, 2008 2:04 PM:Make no mistake; I oppose the mine for purely personal reasons, not the least of which is that I have property in close proximity. That said, Granite will not go away easily. Look at Rosemary's Mountain in Fallbrook. People there opposed it vehemently way back in the '80s, but Granite just kept at it. Same with the Gregory's Canyon landfill. These companies literally out last people. It's insane.

Gunney wrote on Mar 27, 2008 2:05 PM:Listen up Granite; Mines don't go around here.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's Off To Work We Go! wrote on Mar 27, 2008 3:13 PM:Build the quarry now! We need the jobs for Temecula. Real estate jobs are a bust. Abbott is laying off its people. Driving around town it seems as though the only jobs available in Temecula are sign twirlers on the street corners! Temecula needs cheap concrete to build its ivory tower city hall. Temecula needs aggregate to fill all of the potholes in the streets and roads. As for the wine sipping whiners opposing the quarry, no concrete for any of you!

NO QUARRY! wrote on Mar 27, 2008 7:11 PM:Obviously there is only ONE person here that tries to pretend there is many. This ONE person works for Granite and is being PAID. 99% of the Temecula Valley OPPOSE this granite except those moles that are being paid. Give us all a break. Jobs? What jobs? Less than 100 low wage jobs. The doctors know what they are doing; and we all know it doesn't take an EIR to tell us this is a BAD and Unhealth plan! Go away Granite!! And take Carrie and your pathetic consultants with you. They make you look only more foolish; its not helping!

silica dust stays wrote on Mar 28, 2008 9:22 AM:One thing IS proven: Once silica dust lodges in the lungs it's there for good. An idea for Ho Ho Ho: why not invest Temecula and surrounding areas with Solar Energy companies, really become the center of the industry here, provide tons of jobs , supply info and product and services to all of calif and the country, and help change the state in a more postitive way. I love granite, BUT ,....

Silly people! wrote on Mar 28, 2008 9:55 PM:The Temecula city council is a joke but they are also completely irrelavant because they will all be gone within two election cycles. Granite Construction has already picked people who understand how vital a gravel quarry is to Temecula's future. Watch out Temecula! There's a change in the air, and your so-called "leaders" will be booted out of office before you can say "here comes the quarry"!

A concerned Mom wrote on Mar 29, 2008 2:05 PM:If this granite quarry becomes reality Temecula may become a Ghost Town.

wilma wrote on Mar 29, 2008 3:29 PM:fred flinstone is fiction after all this is not bedrock

Common Sense wrote on Apr 1, 2008 11:15 PM:My husband and kids suffer from asthma, and we moved to Temecula because it is a beautiful place to raise a family. I hate to see my family's health in jeopardy because of a greedy Granite Construction Company. I am not willing to sacrifice quality of life for the revenue this mine will supposedly bring to our beloved city. I am going to fight to protect our quality of life!

TO "Silly people!" wrote on Apr 18, 2008 2:15 PM:Gee, why don't you tell us how you really feel, Granite employee! You're post emphasizes the blatant disregard that Granite has toward the citizens of Temecula. The people of Temecula do not want your ill-conceived quarry and don't believe for a second that it is vital to us. It is disgusting to read your words and realize just how calculating Granite is. You guys seem to have it all worked out and apparently bulldozing over what the people want and insulting our wonderful city council is just part of the equation. GO AWAY, GRANITE!

Cram it Granite wrote on May 7, 2008 6:07 AM:When I was your childrens age I hiked the trails,viewed the wildlife, skipped rocks across creeks ,stood in awe of the beautiful San Gabrial mountains and valley. Then came the open pit quarry in Irwindale. The entire area is ruined today; surrounding flat roofed 50's homes are all low income and the industrial parks in the area have a bleak tomb like feeling. The area around Con Rock has totally been depreciated, full of fuel pumping stations,a brewery, cement batch plants, junk yards, a drag strip, three freeways, the 210, 10 and 57