River mining company's expansion plans worry neighbors

BETHLEHEM, Ind. (AP) - Some residents near a company that mines the Ohio River for sand and gravel are raising concerns about its plans to expand its southern Indiana operations.

Nugent Sand Co. wants to relocate about a quarter-mile of a road in Bethlehem, Indiana, to give it more direct access to land the company says will extend its dredging operations there for several years.

But local resident Bill Hawkins and other neighbors worry that the continued dredging of the land's natural filtration materials could affect local well-water quality because all Bethlehem homes rely on private wells.

The News and Tribune reports the company still needs permits for its planned expansion from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

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Information from: News and Tribune, Jeffersonville, Ind., http://www.newsandtribune.com