N.D. firm moves ahead with Minn. quarry

The Strata Corp. of Grand Forks, N.D., says it plans to move ahead with a new quarry in the western Minnesota city of Ortonville after an administrative law judge gave the city approval to annex a key piece of land from Ortonville Township.

The next step is to apply for a city permit, said Bill LaFond, Strata's business development manager and the lead developer in charge of the quarry project.

"If we got permitted by late spring, early summer, we're probably looking at the fall of 2014 before we became operational," LaFond said.

The quarry will produce crushed granite for the concrete industry. "Our primary product will be that of making concrete aggregate," he said.

The judge turned down several other related annexations for the project, but LaFond said the quarry can be built without them.

Some residents oppose the project, saying it will create dust and other environmental problems. A local township board has not decided yet whether to appeal the annexation approval.