Hedrick Industries’ Copperhill Quarry continues to grow, and with that growth its officials work to “be a community partner y’all can count on.” Those were the words Joe Lordi, president and chief operating officer of Hedrick, spoke in May 2025 soon after the quarry opened.
He made that long-term commitment while acknowledging the community disdain for Copperhill Industries over the biosolids controversy. The quarry sits on land where part of the biosolids operation existed.
Continuing the community partnership commitment, Jason Conner explained an upcoming permit application to Polk County District 3 Commissioner Samantha Trantham last week.
Conner, vice president of Land Management for Hedrick Industries, said the permit is for storm water discharge. But because it is being obtained through the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), he wanted to let the community know something new was coming. TDEC also attracted a bad reputation in much of the community because of the biosolids.
Conner said the permitting process will include a sign being posted at the entrance to the site, and he did not want the sign to attract any unnecessary concern.
The permit is needed in the event a huge storm requires water be moved away form the quarry’s open pit through a system of drainage ditches.
We have “to keep water out of the pit,” Conner said.
With the drainage system Hedrick Industries has put in place for the storm water and accompanying permit, “none of the water we have commingles with anything that was already on site,” Conner said. That is, the water that would be diverted directly to Belltown and the Ocoee River would not originate from the area where the biosolids were spread.
“Everything is in compliance for what we need to do,” Conner said.
“We want to let folks know what’s happening,” he told Trantham.
Trantham told Conner she appreciated the update, and while she understood there is really nothing for the community to worry about, “it’s always good to let folks know when something is going to change or look different,” she said.