LDS Church Might Need to Quarry More Granite in the Spring (Granite Mining May Be Complete)
Salt Lake Tribune 2Dec99 N1
By Joe Baird: Salt Lake Tribune

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH -- The LDS Church's controversial granite-mining project in Little Cottonwood Canyon has finished for the year, and possibly for good, to the relief of the project's neighbors. Last week, work crews pulled out of the site, which is providing granite for the new LDS Church Conference Center.

"They'll be back in the spring to begin restoration. But the quarry operation is through. The contractor has left," said County Public Works Director J.D. Johnson. But LDS Church spokesperson Dale Bills says that the contractor may have to return in the spring, "Several loads of split stone remain to be removed and shipped for cutting and polishing. We won't know if the extraction work is complete until we see how much usable stone is produced from the finishing project.

Salt Lake County Commissioner Mark Shurtleff expressed relief at the idea that the mining may be finished, I would like to see it finished, because it would be a real morale boost to that part of the valley. They [quarry crews] have the legal right to be there [through June], but I'd like to see it done." Even Cullen Battle, attorney for the quarry neighbors that fought against the project last year, said it was nice to have the project finish early, "We wanted an agreement that they would be done by the end of this season. The church did not accept that condition, but they did indicate they would do their best to make it a reality."