Dear Editor,

The facts are:

-It’s going to be a rock quarry.

-We are going to have sinkholes. White Rock and the opponents both agree that we will have more sinkholes.

-Rock quarries divide communities. White Rock has not admitted it, but we have already seen it. We have already had to say farewell to Carlisle Road and there are long-time friends and family members who are no longer speaking to each other.

What is uncertain?

-White Rock says property values will go up. Opponents say property values will go down. The chief appraiser for Shelby County says she doesn’t know. It will be a year or two after the quarry is operational before we will know.

-White Rock says our wells will not dry up. Opponents say they will.

-Opponents say that White Rock’s blasting will damage our homes here just like they have in south Florida. White Rock says they won’t. Do they build flimsy houses in south Florida?

-White Rock says there will be 25 trucks a day to begin with, eventually 100. How many trips a day?

-White Rock says Vincent will receive $3.64 million in sales tax revenue. How much equipment will they buy? Spread out over 20, 30, 40 or more years, how much would that be per year? How long would it last?

-White Rock says that they will give Vincent $1.65 million for public improvements. But only after all appeals that could prevent the quarry from beginning operations have expired. That will take a very long time.

-White Rock says that they will bring 123 jobs to Vincent. EBSCO says they may leave and take 200 with them.

We have three rock solid uncontested facts. The rest is uncertain. We won’t know until the quarry is operating. Then it will be too late to say, “uh-oh.”