Slate industry girds for coming legislative session
Work on long-dormant slate quarry pits is grandfathered under Act 250, with no permit required. Last year, lawmakers proposed requiring slate quarry owners to obtain an Act 250 permit to restart work in a long-unused pit. Quarry owners said the cost of obtaining that permit would put them out of business.“The process will be so time-consuming and arduous that they will nickel and dime you to death,” said Steve Taran, of Taran Brothers Slate in Poultney. “If you have anyone in the area opposed to the activity, they start asking questions, and this becomes a ?ve-year process that costs thousands of dollars. “And if you get a permit, they’re so restrictive you can’t make it work,” he added.