Troy Sand & Gravel has renewed its effort to dig another 100 feet below the water table at its Sand Lake mine. This will entail increased blasting and excavation at the mine. The NY Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is the lead agency and will be conducting an Environmental Impact Study (EIS) of this application and has ask for public comments on the proposed scope of that study.

We support an expanded EIS of this proposal and ask the NYS Departmental of Environmental Conservation to consider the following in determining the scope of its Environmental Impact Study:

• Troy Sand and Gravel's application claims their mine is not within 1500 of any senior housing. That is inaccurate as Brookside Senior Housing is located right next to their mine.
• Their application also erroneously states that the mine is not served by any park. The Town of Sand Lake beach is located on Reichard's Lake which, as noted in the DEC's documents, will be impacted by this proposal.

The proposed scoping document should include:

• • a study of the impact on the proposal on traffic which Troy Sand & Gravel claims will not be impacted by their proposal;
  • A freshwater‑wetlands analysis compliant with the newly revised NYS Freshwater Wetlands regulations;
  • An evaluation of how the deeper mining and any increased pumping might affect the levels and flow in Reichard’s Lake and the Wynantskill;
  • A detailed hydrogeologic study of groundwater impacts, including effects on neighboring water wells and aquifer recharge;
  • Noise, vibration, and seismic studies of the proposal’s impact on neighboring homes and buildings;
  • A detailed air quality analysis and an estimation of crystalline‑silica content in dust that would be generated by the proposal. and
  • A quantitative public‑health health risk assessment especially on the Brookside Senior Housing residents and the children who go to nearby West Sand Lake Elementary School, Averill Park High School, and Algonquin Middle School.