What is a fact? A fact is concrete, no pun intended. A fact can be tested and observed, proved or disproved.

Columnist Mark Mush's latest column attacking the proposed Liberty Quarry ("Cracks in Granite's claims showing," March 1) is glaringly lacking in facts. He alleges that quarry supporters do not base their arguments on fact. Yet, he offers no facts himself to support his position.

The truth is we have made every effort to get the facts to the public, including providing tours of our operating Indio quarry and our proposed Liberty Quarry site, while opponents respond with no better than rumors and unsubstantiated accusations. I suggest from now on that facts lead this discussion, starting with a recap of what we know.

Fact: As Mush stated in a previous column ("Arguments against quarry cracking?", Oct. 11, 2006) after he visited Granite's Indio quarry, "I walked away impressed by the operations and the efforts to mitigate dust and waste, which leads to pollution. I have to admit it, the site is very clean." But don't believe Mush. Come see it for yourself.

Fact: The recently updated California Department of Conservation report on Aggregate Availability concludes that aggregate is in extreme short supply. Western Riverside County could run out of aggregate in the next 16 years. In fact, eight out of 10 regions in Southern California have less than 50 percent of the permitted aggregates needed over the next 50 years.

Fact: Aggregate is the primary component of concrete and asphalt in our schools, roads, offices, shopping centers and hospitals. Every mile aggregate travels, the price per ton goes up 15 cents. When you multiply increased aggregate costs by the massive demand, you quickly see Riverside County pays millions of dollars just to import rock and material for local projects from far away. According to news articles in The Californian and The Press-Enterprise, about $2 billion extra has been spent on only nine Inland Empire projects due to increasing project costs. This means we can build less per tax dollar spent.

Fact: Liberty Quarry could reduce total trucks each day by over 1,200 and cut out 16.5 million truck miles per year on Interstate 15 through Riverside County, according to Urban Crossroads Inc. and the nationally recognized firm Kleinfelder Inc., which has a Temecula office. This would eliminate almost 115,000 pounds a year of harmful diesel air emissions and help the California Air Resources Board meet emission goals, while improving air quality and the quality of life for Riverside County.

Fact: A study of air monitoring at two Granite quarries in Northern California concluded that the crystalline silica concentrations in the air at the site boundary were less than 2 percent of the levels that would be considered harmful by the state of California. No study has ever shown a danger to neighbors of a quarry from silicosis anywhere.

Fact: The proposed Liberty Quarry will create 99 jobs and bring Riverside County over $150 million in sales and property tax revenues during the quarry's lifespan of 75 years. Respected Inland Empire economist John Husing's report demonstrates quarry activities will support another 178 jobs in the surrounding community.

Fact: We have made all of the technical reports available to the public on our Web site at www.LibertyQuarryFacts.com.

Mush demonstrates that he is no economist, in denying the apparent fact that sales tax dollars equal services that directly benefit taxpayers. One doesn't have to be an expert to know this, yet Liberty Quarry asked an expert, John Husing.

And this leads me to my point: Like the quarry or not, Granite Construction has provided hard facts, based on quantified and standard engineering and financial methods. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of Mush.

Gary W. Johnson is aggregate resource development manager of Granite Construction Co., which is proposing to build a quarry south of Temecula.