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State denies expansion of quarry, mining on site near RDU, Umstead Park

A three-judge panel of the state Court of Appeals ruled unanimously Tuesday against an attempt by an environmental group to void a lease for a gravel mine near Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

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Signs warn of quarry plan near RDU
RALEIGH, N.C. — The state Department of Environmental Quality on Thursday became the latest agency to deny Triangle Quarry a permit to expand on land adjacent to Umstead Park.

After two public hearings and thousands of public comments, the Division of Energy, Mineral and Land Resources determined the quarry's plan "would have a significantly adverse effect on the purposes of a publicly owned park, forest or recreation area."

The decision is a potential major blow to the project and a win for environmentalists and others who have pushed, for years, against the quarry's plans. The proposed expansion, on land owned by the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority, had prompted a public outcry from property owners, hikers and mountain bikers.

The proposed expansion has been tied up in court since 2019. The latest decision can be appealed to a state administrative law judge.

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