Overheard asking “That’s it?,” some of the people who attended the open house at the KBDJ quarry were underwhelmed by the live blast demonstration. A single blast generally produces enough rock for two weeks production, company president Jill Shackleford said. (Photos by Bruce Fisher)
Festivities at the KBDJ quarry near Buda included a rock-climbing wall, a gyroscope-inspired carnival ride and face painting. More than 100 people attended the event, company officials said.
STAFF REPORTS
More than 100 people attended an open house at the KBDJ quarry on FM 967 in Hays County.
“The quarrying industry is often misunderstood. We produce the rocks that are used to build the roads, bridges, schools and homes we use everyday. Today was all about showing our friends and neighbors that industry and the environment can and do coexist,” said company president Jill Shackelford. Rock from the quarry is being used as road base material in construction of Texas 130 as it was in Buda’s Main Street and streets in the adjacent Ruby Ranch subdivision, Shackelford said.
Shackelford led bus tours of the quarry pit and explained KBDJ’s habitat conservation program. KBDJ is certified by the Wildlife Habitat Council, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing the quality and amount of wildlife habitat on corporate, private and public lands. In recent years, KBDJ’s owners, employees and community partners have developed and executed a plan to conserve, protect and enhance the native wildlife habitat on the undeveloped land surrounding the company’s active quarry operation.
Some residents said the open house is a sign of how the quarry’s relations have improved with surrounding communities.
“This is a far cry from when the quarry first came to our community,” Buda Chamber of Commerce President Dick Schneider said. “I was part of the group that opposed KBDJ’s presence. Since then we have built a strong relationship. ... We look forward to a future of harmonious living.”
Although this was the first time the quarry was opened to the general public, KBDJ often uses the site as an outdoor classroom for schools, environmental organizations and professional researchers. Students have planted wildflowers and trees and learned about geology and groundwater. The quarry has won numerous environmental and community relations awards, including most recently the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce’s 2010 Take on Traffic Award.
For the Oct. 8 open house, the quarry took on a carnival atmosphere with inflatable games, petting zoo, rock climbing wall and other activities for the whole family.
