Drury family listens to local opposition, cancels sand mining plans

KELSO — Following an outpour of opposition from the community, a land owner decided to not pursue an aggregate mining operation in north Scott County.

Tim Drury of St. Louis provided on Tuesday, Feb. 18, a statement on his family’s decision not to pursue the project.

“The Drury family has been part of the Scott County community for three generations,” Drury said in the statement. “This is where we started our families. Our commitment to the Scott County community runs deep and will continue for years to come.

“As has been widely reported, we have been exploring ways to continue to serve as good stewards of our land, ensuring the fruits of our labor deliver value to the Scott County community, the state of Missouri and our country.”

Core drilling recently began on the Drury family’s property in Scott County in order to collect samples to determine if the land contains the quality and quantity of aggregate for use in industrial applications, Drury said.

“We understand that this proposed project has received much attention in the community,” Drury said in the statement. “Because of the opposition expressed by the community to this project, we have made the decision to not pursue this project. While this project would have brought many needed jobs and economic opportunities to Scott County for many decades, we are listening to the concerned voices of the community.

“Although we will continue with core drilling into March, we will not proceed with the project. If the community would like to discuss this further, we would be willing to have those discussions.”

Scott County Presiding Commissioner Danny Tetley said he received a phone call from Drury on Monday, Feb. 17.

“He informed me that after a lot of family discussion, they have decided to not move forward with the proposed sand mining operation just outside of Kelso,” Tetley said in a Facebook post late Monday, Feb. 17. “(Drury) did say that because they had a contract for the sample boring, they would continue with that, which should be finished in a couple of more weeks, but that they would not be pursuing the mining operation.”

Early this month word began to spread throughout the community of the possibility of a sand mining operation being developed near the intersections of County Highways 211 and 214 (the former Diebold property) in southwest Kelso.

Immediately, residents voiced their concerns via social media and other platforms over the potential operation being located close to schools and churches and also creating health hazards by potentially exposing carcinogens and impacting home wells and foundations.

A special public meeting was even scheduled by the Scott County Commission for Wednesday, Feb. 19. In light of Drury’s and his family’s decision, the meeting has been canceled, Tetley said late Monday.

“I truly believe that the prayers of many of you as well as my family and the phone calls that many of us made is the reason they had a change of heart,” Tetley said. “I would also like to say this. … Tim Drury has always been very understanding of the arguments that I presented to him in each of our conversations. I would recommend that each of us send a note of thanks to Tim and his family at their company headquarters in St. Louis to express our gratitude for the change in direction.”

Tetley said as presiding commissioner, he would always put the health and safety of Scott County citizens first and foremost.

“I still believe that we, as a county, should consider at least exploring planning and zoning to get a better understanding of how that might look in Scott County … just to protect us all from future projects that may present a health detriment to our citizens.”