Walla Walla firm's bid nets quarry closure job

Walla Walla firm Harry Johnson Plumbing and Excavating was awarded a contract Tuesday to reclaim the Webber Quarry near Shawnee.

Johnson submitted the lowest of five bids on the project, with the company’s quote of $36,900 almost $10,000 lower than the county’s $46,673 estimate.

The project will entail blasting rock off the rim of the decommissioned quarry and smoothing it to a shallower slope. Public Works Director Mark Storey said the project was required of the county by the state’s Department of Natural Resources, which has final oversight over quarry closures.

The Walla Walla firm’s bid w...