Gravel fight continues in Lincoln.(Teichert Inc faces uphill battle on proposed aggregates project in Placer County, CA)

Teichert Inc. might have just filed the largest environmental impact report Placer County has ever seen. But the opus hasn't stopped opposition to the aggregate mine the company wants to open on 1,000 acres four miles north of Lincoln.

"It's the first draft of an EIR that went out in a box rather than an envelope," said Loren Clark, a Placer County senior planner.

The report is 7 1/2 inches thick and six volumes long. Its bulk is an apt metaphor for Teichert's effort to win support for opening the mine, which would supply the growing county with 1 million to 2 million tans of sand, gravel and granite yearly.

The material is used to build almost everything from houses to roads and schools.

Four years after proposing the project, Teichert has made major changes to its plans to appease neighbors. Most area residents seem to agree the Sacramento company is community-minded and has tried to address their concerns.

Still, if Placer County officials approve the project, the Western Hacer Citizens for an Agricultural and Rural Environment plans to sue. …