Pan Pacific Aggregates granted approval to reopen Pumptown Quarry

Approval granted

Following a meeting of the City of Abbotsford Council on 14 September 2009, Pan Pacific Aggregates (PPA), based in British Columbia, has been granted approval to reopen the Pumptown granite Quarry.

Initial closure

PPA initially announced that it was closing operations at the quarry on 29 August 2008, after the company was informed by the City of Abbotsford’s consultant engineers that the bridge to the quarry’s access road was unsafe to transport aggregate trucks. The company was required to replace the whole bridge, which was estimated to take up to 18 months. The investment cost of this reconstruction work, combined with the prospect of no income from the site, meant that the company was unable to commit to a proposed agreement with HSBC to forestall the seizing and reselling of the equipment that it had leased for the site.

Reopening

The company confirmed its intention to reopen the quarry on 1 May 2009. William Voaden, Managing Director of PPA announed, “We are in positive discussions with the local council and stakeholders in relation to obtaining improved access to the Pumptown Quarry”. While awaiting approval, the company proceeded to conduct detailed planning in order to bring the quarry into full production.

Based on staff recommendations, the operating conditions will include the completion of an access by-pass road for the trucks on the City of Abbotsford’s property, and the limitation of operating hours to ten hours/day (07.00 am – 17.00 pm).

Voaden greeted the approval as “positive news”. He went onto comment: “We can now get down to running the quarry and to increasing shareholder value”.

Development work continues and it is expected that the quarry will recommence operations in October.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/the-americas/01102009/pan_pacific_aggregates_granted_approval_to_reopen_pumptown_quarry/