Columbia-Pacific Northwest Region

Sunroc Corporation Proposed Expanded Permit Area (Amendment to Existing Land Use Permit 11-07-14-LA705)

Frequently Asked Questions

What would this amendment change?

Why has Sunroc applied for this expansion?

Would this amendment allow Sunroc to increase annual operations?

What limits Sunroc’s gravel extraction, if not its permit?

I am concerned about dust/air quality. How would this amendment affect Sunroc’s gravel crushing and processing operations?

What exactly does Reclamation have authority to regulate? Who else regulates Sunroc’s gravel transportation, crushing, and processing operations?

Are there other similar operations occurring in the Alpine Bear Pit area?

Why does Reclamation allow gravel extraction to occur here?

What opportunities do I have to comment on this proposal?

What would this amendment change?

Sunroc’s request seeks approval from Reclamation to expand the current permitted extraction area by approximately 158 acres. This request means the geographic area from which Sunroc is allowed to extract materials would increase, though the operational capacity, methods of extraction, and production volumes would remain unchanged. No new infrastructure, changes in extraction methods, or increases in production rates are being proposed as part of this application.

back to top

Why has Sunroc applied for this expansion?

Sunroc believes the expansion is necessary to sustain the ongoing demand for high-quality aggregate and construction materials in the local Alpine region. Expanding the extraction zone would allow Sunroc Corporation to continue meeting local infrastructure and construction needs to support growth and development in the Alpine area and throughout Teton County (e.g., public works, road building and maintenance, and construction projects). Shortages of locally available aggregates lead to increased costs and logistical challenges associated with importing materials from distant locations.

back to top

Would this amendment allow Sunroc to increase annual operations?

Sunroc states that the expansion of the extraction area would not increase the total average volume of material being extracted annually or per operational cycle. The proposal only pertains to increasing the geographical area over which the extraction occurs, which may help in optimizing access to quality material reserves. Sunroc intends to maintain the same long-term average annual extraction rate that is already in place — approximately 200,000 cubic yards a year — with no changes to overall transport truckloads, traffic routes, or extended operations.

back to top

What limits Sunroc’s gravel extraction, if not its permit?

The majority of Sunroc’s current 81.5-acre extraction area and the approximately 158-acre proposed expansion is within Palisades Reservoir’s full-pool footprint. This request means that under typical annual reservoir operations, this area becomes inundated as the reservoir is filled during the fall and winter months. As the reservoir is drawn down during summer months, this area becomes exposed, generally from September through January. Extraction can only occur seasonally, when the area is not underwater.

back to top

I am concerned about dust/air quality. How would this amendment affect Sunroc’s gravel crushing and processing operations?

This amendment would only affect the geographic area from which Sunroc is authorized to perform gravel extraction. Sunroc’s existing authorization does not allow any crushing or processing operations to occur on federally owned land, and this would not change.

back to top

What exactly does Reclamation have authority to regulate? Who else regulates Sunroc’s gravel transportation, crushing, and processing operations?

Reclamation has the authority to administer permits for use of federally-owned lands that Reclamation manages. The existing extraction area and the proposed expansion area are located entirely on federally owned land that is managed by Reclamation, therefore Reclamation has decision-making authority over Sunroc’s request to expand the extraction area.

Sunroc’s crushing and processing activities occur entirely on privately owned property in Lincoln County, Wyom., and, therefore, do not fall under Reclamation authority. These activities are subject to federal and state of Wyoming air quality standards and applicable statutes/permitting and reporting requirements, Lincoln County land use regulations, and City of Alpine ordinances. Reclamation does not have any permitting authority or regulatory control over Sunroc’s activities on privately owned property.

The main roadways used by Sunroc’s operations to transport material between the extraction site and the private property where crushing operations occur are Palisades Reservoir County Road (County Road 101), which is managed and maintained by Lincoln County, and U.S. Highway 89, which is subject to Federal Highway Administration, state, and local administration.

back to top

Are there other similar operations occurring in the Alpine Bear Pit area?

Yes, the Wyoming Department of Transportation holds a separate authorization from Reclamation to extract approximately 1,000,000 cubic yards of borrow and crushing material from the Alpine Bear Pit over 20 years, and to perform crushing and processing operations on adjacent federal land. WYDOT’s extraction activities are similar to Sunroc’s, with extraction timing dependent on seasonal reservoir water levels, transport of material occurring year-round, and crushing or processing of material occurring during a significant portion of the year, weather permitting.

Prior to the issuance of WYDOT’s authorization for such activities, Reclamation completed an EA in 2017, at the conclusion of which Reclamation issued a FONSI. Information on WYDOT’s authorization, the EA, and the FONSI is available here.

back to top

Why does Reclamation allow gravel extraction to occur here?

Reservoirs naturally act as settling basins, where sediment transported in the flowing water of incoming tributaries is dropped out of the water column on entering the slower water retained in a reservoir. Heavier than water, the sediment accumulates on the reservoir bed, reducing reservoir storage capacity. Over time, this process can potentially impact the core functions of reservoir and dam facilities such as storage, flood control, and hydropower generation. These sedimentation processes occurring at the upper reach of Palisades Reservoir have created gravel deposits conducive to the commercial extraction of borrow and crushing materials, the removal of which is also beneficial to Reclamation’s ongoing operation of Palisades Dam and Reservoir.

back to top

What opportunities do I have to comment on this proposal?

The National Environmental Policy Act is meant to facilitate meaningful public input to proposed federal actions. An initial 30-day scoping public comment period for this process occurred in fall 2024; all comments received during scoping will be considered in the analyses developed in the Final Environmental Assessment, expected to be completed by the fall of 2025.

back to top