Susquehanna County Blog

The very first entry on this site was about  Bluestone.  Since that time, more information has become available and it is time to write the first update.  You can read it if you search either by Bluestone in Susquehanna County or in the archives.

It was reported (a few weeks ago) in the local media, that BS Quarries has withdrawn their application to do a large expansion to their operations in New Milford Township.  Was this a “win” for the “People”?  Certainly, if you ask the landowners on Sutton Road and that portion of PA 848 that is most traveled by the stone trucks, they will say it was.  If you ask the people who work for BS, it was certainly not a positive thing.  It did force the New Milford Township Supervisors to have to address at least in some measure the issue.  It is a good thing they have a solicitor is on the ball and offered appropriate advice. 

If you go to GoogleEarth and zoom in on Susquehanna County, you will be surprised at the quality of the images.  It appears they were made in late 2006 or early 2007 and are recent enough and good enough to see all the quarries in the area as they currently are.  Some are quite large.   How many are there?  How many are being worked without permits?  How many which are no longer worked, been properly closed?  There are more than a few of these.

Oh yes, how about the economic development side of the Bluestone Industry?  While there is little official information available about the industry specifically in any terms, a little sneaks out from time to time.  The largest conventional employer in Susquehanna County is and has been for many years, Barnes Kasson Hospital.  There are roughly 400 who work there.  I am quite sure the number of independent contractors working in the Bluestone Industry easily exceeds that by multiples as does the payroll.  A year or so ago, the word on the street was that the reported income of the Bluestone industry in Susquehanna County exceeded $110 million annually.  So, grouped together as an industry, Bluestone is easily the largest employer and revenue generator in Susquehanna County.  Does anyone know of a larger business here?  By the way, if $110 million was reported, how much was unreported?  That’s anyone’s guess, but one estimate suggested in the neighborhood of $250 million total.  If either of these numbers are even remotely close, they dwarf the Barnes Kasson figures. 

Two very simple questions - How many families are fed from our native rock?  How can anyone say there are no jobs in the county?  There is a continual need for workers in the industry, both skilled and unskilled, which has to be fed by workers who aren’t afraid to work (usually from a Latin American country who may or may not be “documented”). 

Our ancestors came to this country with ideas and the willingness to work.  Many did not speak English when they came here.  Most learned it as they embraced their America.  Today, we as a people are weak, spoiled and are unwilling to take on the challenges of the day.  Many feel they are too educated to have to do manual labor.  Education is a wonderful thing.  It should be embraced thoroughly and completely.  However, never forget where we have all come from.  Don’t look down on the person who does manual labor.  At least he or she is working and not part of the welfare system which has become so prevalant in this country and especially in Susquehanna County.

The brochure tells us that Susquehanna County is a wonderful place to live, raise a family and recreate.  Unfortunately, the employment opportunities here are rather limited.  50 years ago, farming and logging were two of the larger industries here, but no longer.  It seems that the Bluestone industry has, hands down, taken the lead for employment and dollars generated here.  Although many people are glad for the employment, there are several major issues which have developed as a result of the large, almost explosive growth of the industry over the past 10 years. 

 Since Bluestone is obtained by surface mining, permits need to be obtained to harvest the stone.  As we all know, the word “harvest” is somewhat inaccurate as there will be only one harvest - ever.  What is left behind, depends entirely upon the operator’s desire to do the right thing.  Yes, a bond has to be obtained to protect the land, but the bond would only cover a small part of restoration of the land in many cases. 

Then there is the question about erosion and sedimentation.  Yes, retention ponds are required, but how they are maintained is based at least in some measure on the operator.  There have been and probably will continue to be operators who, out of ignorance, greed or laziness allow their ponds to run off into the watershed, creating streams which look as if milk has been dumped in them. 

 Certainly, there have been allegations made by many as to illegal aliens working in the quarries.  Let’s not sugar coat this, if there are illegals working here, this is just wrong.  Virtually all of us here had, at some time in their family’s history an ancestor who came here, probably through Ellis Island - legally.  There are people here today who come in to this country in roughly the same manner as was done a hundred years ago.  Yes, they do jobs that our own citizens don’t want to do, but does that make it “right”?   It is fairly well known that the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) has their hands full and really doesn’t want to hear about illegals in the Bluestone industry.   Why?

 There is the issue of the destruction of the roads and bridges, not to mention the increase in truck traffic on roads which were probably designed for a horse and wagon.  Is the road issue being addressed by Penndot?   Probably not.   Is this being addressed by Local and County officials, other than to say “We support you and we are concerned” but nothing gets done?

 Finally, there is the matter of the end product.  All around the county we will probably wind up with gaping holes in our mountains, denuded of woods, having created an area which cannot retain water which will runoff into our streams. 

 Everyone should be able to have the ability to make a living here.  The bigger question should be “At what cost to the remainder of the land owners of Susquehanna County?”