PORT TOWNSEND — A surprise turnaround by county planners late last week will result in a fourth environmental-impact study of Fred Hill Material’s proposed Shine-area sand and gravel mining site.

The action, reportedly linked to water, groundwater movement quality and quantity, and natural habitat in the Wahl Lake area, was celebrated by Hood Canal Coalition members, who oppose Fred Hill’s extraction plans.

The coalition has also fought the separate Fred Hill “pit-to-pier” proposal that could someday move sand and gravel on a long conveyor belt to a lengthy new pier.

An elated Hood Canal Coalition spokesman, John Fabian, on Friday called the county planners’ action “a prudent thing to do.”

“Now we’re going to have an independent organization come in a not represent us and not represent the miners,” Fabian said, referring to the new environmental-impact statement.

“This is good for the community and I’m pleased by it.”

Fred Hill project manager Dan Baskins, however, dismissed the action, saying in a prepared statement:

“We’ve proposed an environmentally sound plan to move our mining to a higher, drier portion of land out of public view, where we’d gradually mine and replant trees in efficient 10 to 12-acre segments that would meet the demand of generations to come.

“Apparently, the county prefers us to continue to mine along the current face.”