The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will hold a public hearing later this month to gather feedback on a proposed mining project in Mitchell County. The hearing, hosted by DEQ’s Division of Energy, Mineral, and Land Resources (DEMLR), is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Monday, July 29, at the former Bowman Middle School auditorium, located at 410 S. Mitchell Street in Bakersville. Those wishing to speak may sign up beginning at 5:30 p.m.
The proposal, submitted by Horizon 30 under Application No. 61-22, seeks approval to operate Carter Quarry—a construction aggregate mine spanning 50.8 acres, with plans to excavate up to 550 feet deep. The application indicates that roughly 23 acres would be actively mined.
Members of the public can submit comments on the project through August 8. Feedback may be sent by:
- Email: ncminingprogram@deq.nc.gov (Subject: “Horizon 30”)
- Voicemail: 919-707-9227
- Mail:
Kelly B. Jonas
Assistant State Mining Engineer
NCDEQ Division of Energy, Mineral and Land Resources
Mining Program
1612 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1612
All public input—whether shared at the hearing or submitted by email, voicemail, or mail—will be reviewed before a final decision is made. The agency may approve the permit, deny it, or require modifications.
More details, including project documents and maps, can be found on the DEQ website.
