Sustainability

Safety & Well-Being

The Beckmann Quarry has been safely operated for more than 70 years, taking care to practice good safety measures and mindful of the nearby residential and retail community.

Martin Marietta has extensive safety plans in place to ensure that workers are safe, the community around the quarry is safe and that all materials handled at the quarry are done so responsibly. Safety plans include pollution prevention, spill prevention and overfill control, and in-depth blasting monitoring to check noise and vibration levels.

Each subcontractor that works with Martin Marietta is required to have an up-to-date, detailed safety plan.

The Beckmann Quarry has consistently been recognized for its safety achievements and environmental excellence.

Environmental Stewardship

In 2010, Martin Marietta installed a new water system, which reduced water consumption by 53 percent in just one year.

The Beckmann Quarry takes precautions to protect the Edwards Aquifer, with nearly two-dozen water-pollution abatement plans in place. These plans include flood control for the Shavano area on the 95-Acre Parcel of the quarry, entrance road reconstruction, wheel wash prior to trucks exiting the quarry and above ground storage tanks.

wheel-wash

To prevent the spread of dust around the area of the quarry, Martin Marietta treats the paved entrance to the quarry with a chemical that keeps dust down, washes the entire road every evening and runs street sweepers every day on each shift along the frontage road of Loop 1604 and around the quarry area. Trucks undergo a wheel wash prior to exiting the quarry to prevent the spread of dust.

Protecting the Edwards Aquifer

The Edwards Aquifer Authority and U.S. Geologic Survey conduct routine and extensive groundwater sampling and testing. These tests have not identified any adverse water quality issues related to the quarry. Additionally, adverse quarry effects on water quality are not common complaints from adjacent landowners with private water wells.

Recycling

Martin Marietta recycles water, asphalt pavement, returned paving concrete, used oil, batteries, antifreeze, light bulbs and solvents, so that materials do not go to waste.

Mining

Firmatek Seismic, a third-party contractor, provides a summary of the U.S. Bureau of Mines Research’s Effects of Blast Vibrations on Residential Structures.

You can download the complete report here.

Corporate Citizenship

Martin Marietta is a proud community neighbor. We have participated in fundraisers for the San Antonio Food Bank, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Ronald McDonald House, Meals on Wheels, the United Way and many other nonprofit and charitable organizations.

We provide fun and educational annual tours for Blattman Elementary School. The tours walk kids through the facility from start to finish and teach children how geology works and ultimately creates aggregates that are sold. During this tour, Martin Marietta deploys a blast to show children how mining works, how safety is of the utmost importance and that geology can be a fun career.

Martin Marietta also supports the Blattman Elementary School Bear Bash with a $500 auction gift, ice and lighting. We also make a park available to parents who coach teams and need field access due to overcrowding.

We support the youth basketball team with uniforms and meals and also provided awards to graduating seniors. We host an annual Shavano Park Fiesta Night, provides fish for a fishing tournament for disabled community members and support the Shavano Park Women’s Club.

Martin Marietta provided lighting for the Emerald Forest Elementary School, has provided a $500 scholarship through the Shavano Park Women’s Club and host an annual quarry tour for the Shavano Park citizens.