Mining site acreage in Maine

This morning I got from Maine Department of Environmental Protection a list of mining sites in Maine and how many acres each site is permitted for. I sought out the info in writing about a proposed gravel pit expansion in Lamoine because I had been told the expanded pit would be pretty big, and I wanted to see just how it would compare to other similar mining sites in Maine.

According to DEP the expanded pit, if approved, would be the largest permitted mining site in Hancock County and in the top 20 for the state. The largest permitted mining site in Maine is a 345-acre quarry in Poland, while the largest permitted gravel pit in the state is a 238-acre site in the York County town of Dayton.

Other large mining sites in Maine include a 200-acre gravel pit in Hampden, a 231-acre gravel pit in New Gloucester, and a 163-acre quarry in Jonesboro. An 84-acre gravel pit in Hancock already operated by Harold MacQuinn Inc., the applicant for the proposed 110-acre pit in Lamoine, does not register in the top 25 largest permitted mining sites in Maine.

To see the top 25 list, click here. Note that even though the 110-acre site in Lamoine is on the list, the expanded pit has yet to be approved by DEP or the Lamoine planning board.

Bill Trotter

About Bill Trotter

A news reporter in coastal Maine for more than 20 years, Bill Trotter writes about how the Atlantic Ocean and the state's iconic coastline help to shape the lives of coastal Maine residents and visitors. He writes about fisheries, marine-related topics, eastern coastal Maine communities and more for the BDN. He lives in Ellsworth. Follow him on Twitter at @billtrotter.