A proposed 58.5-acre expansion of the Coopers Plains Mine & Plant would extend the operation south into Campbell and Erwin, with public comments due Nov. 13 on the state mining permit application.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation has determined that the expansion would not have a significant adverse environmental impact. That finding, published Oct. 28, clears the project’s environmental review without requiring an environmental impact statement. A separate permit application remains subject to the public comment process.
Dalrymple Gravel and Contracting Company Inc. is seeking a mined land reclamation permit for the expansion at its operation at 3877 Curtis Coopers Road. DEC’s completed-application notice says no other changes are proposed.
Where the mine would expand
The additional land would bring the mine’s life-of-mine area to 162.5 acres and its permit-term area to 126.5 acres. The application identifies a larger overall mining footprint than the area included in the proposed permit term.
The expansion would be bounded by the existing mine to the north, the B&H Railroad tracks to the east and Smith Hill Road to the south. Curtis Coopers Road runs through the eastern portion of the proposed expansion.
The northern part of the added acreage lies in Campbell, while the southern part lies in Erwin.
Dalrymple identifies the Coopers Plains location as a hot-mix asphalt and gravel plant. Its company history describes Coopers Plains and Chemung as aggregate-producing operations with on-site testing laboratories.
The facility also appears in Steuben County’s 2026 aggregate purchasing contract. The county lists Dalrymple’s Coopers Plains plant among sources for crushed gravel, with purchases under that portion of the contract based on the lowest total cost, including county trucking costs.
Historic resources reviewed
DEC classified the expansion as a Type I action and conducted a coordinated environmental review with other agencies.
A separate historic preservation review identified an impact on registered or eligible archaeological sites or historic structures. DEC’s application notice says measures were developed with the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to avoid or mitigate those impacts, concluding that review.
The notice does not identify the affected resource or describe the agreed measures.
Mining permits also address what happens to land after extraction. DEC requires applicants to submit a mined land-use plan covering the property, mining methods and reclamation. Reclamation plans address future land use, grading, drainage, revegetation and the timing of restoration work.
Comments due Nov. 13
Written comments on application 8-4630-00002/00003 must reach DEC by Nov. 13.
Application documents and any applicable draft permits are available for inspection during normal business hours through DEC’s Region 8 office at 6274 East Avon-Lima Road in Avon. The agency recommends arranging an appointment.
Comments may be sent to dep.r8@dec.ny.gov. The office can be reached at 585-226-2466.
The environmental finding completes one part of the review. Authorization for the proposed expansion depends on the mining permit decision.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to news@fingerlakes1.com.
