A Holiday Wish

Our homes are our most cherished investments.

When we began looking for a community in which to buy our first house and start a family, Cary figured predominately into our decision making. My wife grew up in Barrington and knew the area well. We toured the village, looked into the schools and immediately fell in love with Cary's charm and small town appeal.

We moved here in 2002. Since then, we have started a family and are busily raising two small boys.

And now the idyllic town that we fell in love with may no longer hold the same appeal that brought us here.

We may become neighbors to a large, noisy, dusty gravel pit. An eyesore, much like the one that exists to the south.

Our homes are our most cherished investments. In these troubling economic times our house value has plummeted as homes all over Cary sit vacant or at reduced prices.

A pit will only exacerbate the situation.

Anyone living near the pit will not be able to sell their homes. They can only sit and helplessly watch the value of their investment fall.

In the meantime, Meyer Material will add millions of dollars to their bottom line. Cary will get a kickback.

And the homeowners will suffer.

The suffering will continue when Meyer Material looks to expand further North into Hoffman Park. Greenfields and Cimarron will be next.

And what is the root of this? Plain and simple: greed.

Money talks. And Meyer has plenty of it and can get the best lawyers, bribe village officials with annual payments, produce flashy presentations that magically turn their eyesore into a beautiful park that will "benefit" Cary for years to come.

In the meantime, the citizens of Cary are held hostage. If this truly was a representative government where the will of the people was rooted in all decisions, it would not be the middle of December with this issue still on the table.

The issue would have been decided months ago with a resounding "no!"

As we get ready to celebrate this holiday season, the Village of Cary stands ready to approve a plan that will irrevokably change the entire nature of this village and threaten our most cherished investment.

This isn't Bedford Falls. There isn't a George Bailey to stand up to the sinister Mr. Potter here. This is not the the realm of Mr. Cratchit or Jacob Marley's ghost.

This is Cary, Illinois.

And all we hope in this holiday season is for the happy ending that we have seen over and over again in reruns of Chistmases past.

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE VILLAGE OF CARY

I am an American history teacher and have spent the last 17 years of my career trying to get kids to understand not only the values upon which this country was built but also understand the basic ideas behind what the founders called "a republic of virtue."

I am afraid that in the modern era, the founders would have difficulty recognizing this country as the values upon which they created the structure for this federal system have slowly eroded away over the last several decades.

And the current issue with Meyer Material Company regarding the building of a gravel pit echoes this erosion.

Although the founders established safeguards to prevent mob rule, the structure they created was to reflect, at all levels, the will of the people. This would be especially true at the local level. The local level was the level that Jefferson thought was most important because it was there where people would have the greatest voice in determining their political lives.

However, this does not seem to hold true anymore as those entities with more resources---money, legal representation, etc---have taken that voice away from where it truly belongs.

And that is a problem.

Meyer has far more resources than anyone in the village. They have money. They have a cadre of lawyers that we can never hope to match.

But they also lack the virtue upon which this country was built. They are not out to create something for the "general good," which is the cornerstone of republican virtue, but for their own profit.

In this never ending quest for profit, the will of the people is disregarded and bulldozed: the ultimate violation of the republic of virtue. Profit becomes the virtue over everything else. And profit then trumps quality of life, property values and basic self determination for the citizens. The decision making is taken from the voice of the people and replaced by the voice of profit. Corporations have hijacked the democratic voice of the people. And they do it through money, bribery and threats.

Meyer bought the land over ten years ago knowing the zoning laws in regard to that land. And those zoning laws and the Chally Farm Agreement reflected the will of the people--the idea that the Chally Farm land should never be used for mining purposes. Indeed, it is that very agreement which prohibited mining on the land that persuaded many of us in Fox Trails to purchase property near the land in question in the first place. Maybe that is because many of us believed that the law was supreme, that the village was in the business of not only protecting the residents but also adhering to the basic principle that the government represents us, the people.

And now Meyer wants the village to go against the will of the people and they will use whatever it takes to do so---because for them, the profit is more important than ethics. Profit is more important than virtue.

And profit is more important than the people.

All that we ask is for you to recognize this for what it is: an attempt by Meyer to increase profits at the expense of the people of Cary.

You will need to make a decision: Do you represent the people of Cary or do you represent the interests of a multi-billion dollar international corporation--a corporation that has no ties to this village other than the fact that they own some land they wish to strip of its resources?

You know where we stand.

And we hope you will stand with us.

The End is Near

We are nearing the end of this journey, ladies and gentlemen. And Meyer has become desperate. As we know, they will say and do almost anything in order to get the pit approved by the Village of Cary Board. After all, they need 5 out of 7 votes to get the original Chally Farm agreement amended. If they don’t get those votes, they cannot mine on that land.

So, they use fear and rumor. They have employees tell us that this is a “done deal” and that the “equipment has already been bought.” They spread rumors about de-annexation to Lake in the Hills or Algonquin. Don’t be fooled. This is a scare tactic designed to get support for their proposal and to make us think that we cannot get a better deal.

But we can get a better deal. And the better deal would be NO PIT.

To Meyer, this is a matter of profit: the materials under the ground could get them upwards of $100 million. So they try to sell a plan to the people of Cary and to the Cary Village Board so that they can make that profit. They try to portray themselves as benefactors who will bequeath to Cary land that will be more valuable once they are done mining. They show us beautiful designs of a park and a lake. They discuss landscaping and park access. This, they say, will be Meyer’s “gift” to Cary.

This is a façade. One need only to look at the current pit on Klasen Road. The new pit will merely be an extension of the old. That pit is not beautiful. There are steep, dangerous cliffs. The land surrounding the pit, including the berms that were established to shield the pit from Fox Trails residents are overgrown with weeds and not maintained.

And, there is no "lake." Look carefully at that pit. Next time you drive down Klasen, slow down and look at Cary's future. The water that sits at the bottom is not a lake that can be used. If there is no usable lake in the current pit, one can surmise that there will not be much of a lake when this pit is expanded. It is that simple.

So Meyer is getting desperate. They made an offer to “protect” home values in Fox Trails. However, like so much of what Meyer has promised, this proposal is empty and does not at all protect property values. What it does is makes Meyer a controlling party in the home selling process; a dangerous idea to say the least.

As for the rumors in regard to de-annexation? Although this is something that theoretically can happen, a lawyer has told us that the probability of it succeeding is almost zero. Why? If that land is de-annexed, that would leave parts of Cary no longer connected to Cary. And that makes the probability of success for Meyer very slim.

So Meyer is desperate. They are throwing proposals around to try and hook potential votes on the board and to sway public opinion in their direction. The Mayor submits his own plan that allows Meyer to mine but forces some minor concessions on Meyer. Again we are made to think that this may be the best we can get. The Mayor’s plan may be nothing more than a behind-the-scenes deal with Meyer from the beginning. It is smoke and mirrors. The Mayor is Meyer's biggest salesman.

The fact remains that Meyer needs 5 votes to get the Chally Farm agreement changed.

That means that only 3 votes can defeat Meyer.

Only three votes stand between the people of Cary and an ugly, harmful pit.

It is hoped that three people on the Village board have the courage to stand up to Meyer and simply say “no.”

For that is the right thing to do.

The Evidence Against the Pit

Tomorrow the fate of Cary will be decided. The board is expected to vote on the Meyer petition. The meeting will be held at 7 pm at the Holiday Inn in Crystal Lake again.


Here is some of the accumulated evidence against the pit (all of which is public record):

• At the last meeting, definitive evidence was present to the board regarding property taxes. An employee of Meyer petitioned McHenry County to have his property taxes lowered because his proximity to a gravel pit lowered the value of his house. The board agreed. His taxes were lowered.

Not only are we going to contend with lower property values. The new pit is a "potential" for contamination of Cary's drinking water. This affects not just Fox Trails, but all of Cary.

The Village engineer stated in testimony on July 12 that a gravel pit located in the recharge area of the well can be an avenue for contamination of our water.

Richard Cobb, Deputy Director of Ground Water for the Illinois EPA concurs. In a letter dated August 24, 2007, he writes:

"Sand and gravel operations represent a potential threat of groundwater contamination. In 1987, Governor Thompson signed legislation for protection of Illinois groundwater from contamination. The Illinois Groundwater Protection Act (IGPA) defined any excavation for the discovery sand or gravel as a Potential Route of Groundwater Contamination (415 ILCS 5/3.350). In addition, the IGPA required the Illinois EPA to develop and the Illinois Pollution Control Board (Board) to adopt comprehensive groundwater quality standards (35 Ill. Adm. Code 620) including non-degradation requirements. These regulations include contaminants such as total dissolved solids (TDS) and chlorides which can be increased when excavating sand or gravel." (Proposed Gravel Pit. Letter. Richard Cobb. August 24, 2007)

The IEPA recommends that the Village of Cary extend the setback zone around well #10 in order to lessen the possibility of contamination.

But it is the evidence from Valley View Elementary School in McHenry that provides us with a glimpse of what is in store for homeowners in Cary. There are three gravel pits near the school. The school district did some independent evaluations of the situation to determine if the gravel pits owned and operated by Meyer Material Company had a negative effect on the school. Here is what they discovered:

"These results indicate that the quarry operations produce considerable particulate levels that can be carried on the prevailing winds onto school property. Additionally, the EPA prohibits the emission of visible particulate matter across property lines. Therefore, the quarry operations appear to be outside compliance parameters for particulate matter based on the results of this study." (Air Sampling Survey Report. McHenry Community Consolidated School District 15, McHenry Illinois. Valley View School. September 3 through 8, 1997. CIH Professional Services. Yorkville, Illinois)

Furthermore, Jack Barnette, EPA Chief for Radiation and Indoor Air, visited the school in the Spring of 1999. This is what he told the city:

"One obvious problem was the amount of dust and sand that had accumulated near the doors and windows of the school. the principle source of dust was the gravel pit that was adjacent to the school property. This gravel pit surrounded the building on three sides. The maintenance staff told me that they cleaned up the dust and sand everyday. They also indicated that dust from the pit impacted the school or the playground on a regular basis. Though the indoor conditions of the school suggested a well maintained facility, the outdoor source, that is, the gravel pit, was definitely having a negative impact on the building and grounds of this institution." (Valley View School, McHenry County. Letter. Jack Barnette. September 17, 2002)

Furthermore, it was revealed that Meyer was not "a good neighbor" on several occasions:

• October 15, 2003. In a meeting before the IEPA about Meyer Material Company, the IPEA admitted that they don't inspect gravel pits more than once every three or four years, barring any complaints. Instead, they rely on the company to report any noncompliance to IEPA rules and regulations. (Transcript. Before the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Hearing involving the issuance of a new construction permit by Meyer Material Co. McHenry, Illinois. October 15, 2007 p. 30)
  
• At this meeting, it was discovered that Meyer had added "21 conveyors" to their operations without notifying the IEPA and had been in violation for some time with no inspections or consequences. (Transcript. Before the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Hearing involving the issuance of a new construction permit by Meyer Material Co. McHenry, Illinois. October 15, 2007 p. 48)
  
• May 22, 2002. The IEPA concluded that due to the amount of fugitive dust coming from the pit onto school property, that Meyer Material Company could be "cited for nuisance violation." And "their sand stockpile...emits fugitive dust during strong wind current that could cause nuisance and affect the health of school children of Valley View School." (IEPA. Tier 1 Inspection. May 22, 2002. Complaint# 02051404)
• 1994. Meyer cited for "insufficient spray bar capacity." The inspectors noticed "visible fugitive dust emission on the top of the conveyor." Also, "visible emissions were observed off the conveyors." (IEPA. May 25, 1994)
• 1986. Lack of operating permit violation. (IEPA. July 24, 1986)

It must be noted again that most violations that are found in gravel pit operations are not discovered by the IEPA or the EPA during routine inspections, but after residents file complaints. Meyer will be expected to do much of the monitoring itself.

That's like having the fox guard the hen house, so to speak.

In summation, the gravel pit proposal by Meyer Material Company will adversely affect the residents of Cary, Illinois. Lower property values will be the first reality. Next, gravel pits will negatively affect the standard of living in Cary, especially to those residents nearest the pit. Fugitive dust will be another daily reality. This dust will not just be a nuisance, but could have negative health impacts as well. Meyer has shown itself not to be the "good neighbor" it claims, but has violated regulations several times. Lastly, the "potential for contamination" of Cary's groundwater should be enough to vote this pit down. If the groundwater does become contaminated, this could bring costly ramifications on the Village of Cary, Illinois.


A copy of this brief has been sent to the Village Board and the area newspapers. If you would like a .pdf version of the complete paper, click here.

Village Board Meeting

Don't forget: At tomorrow's Village Board meeting, the village will be considering Meyer's petition. We need to show our numbers.

Village Board Meeting
Tuesday, August 21
7:00 pm
Holiday Inn in Crystal Lake

A "New" Village of Cary Website?

It appears the village may have a new website....maybe.

Check out the site at http://www.caryillinois.org

Could This Happen in Cary?

Click on the image below to see the news story from Long Island about a loaded gravel truck tipping over and crushing a car, killing the driver. (Note: You need RealPlayer to view the news report)

Selling Out Residents

So the Zoning Board was split on the issue of the pit. First of all, we must thank board members Graziano, Williams and Daley for recognizing that the pit is just that---an eyesore, a health hazard and a bad idea for Cary. Thank you for voting no.

As for the others...well, let's just say that Joe Tournier in particular seems to have an unusual affinity for paid "experts" representing big business and less for simple residents just trying to live their lives. Tournier told those assembled that no one had offered evidence to counter what Meyer's "experts" were telling us and that it was up to those who object to offer expert testimony as well.

What? Excuse me Mr. Tournier...we, the residents of Cary, do not have millions of dollars to hire attorneys and pay for experts. The fact that over 300 citizens---those of us who pay taxes so that the Zoning Board of Appeals can exist---voiced their concerns and signed their names asking the board to reject the petition should be enough. After all, this is a democracy, is it not? I am sure the Village did not get such numbers of people advocating the pit.

Secondly, the Zoning Board of Appeals is a government body and if Tournier wanted "facts" he could have easily turned to the numerous reports regarding health offered by government organizations all over the world. Furthermore, if he was so concerned about the "facts," why did he not order the Village to study property values and health issues in regard to the pit in order to determine the validity of Meyer's claims? Why does the village not conduct their own studies instead of relying on obviously biased testimony paid for by a company that so desperately wants the pit so that it could add millions of dollars more to their annual profit levels?

The fact that he did not ask for such data or order a study seems to me that his mind was made up long before these meetings took place. Indeed, when it was time to cross examine Meyer's witnesses, Chairman Tournier had not one question for the petitioners.

Not one.

Many residents spoke out as to the flaws in the "facts" presented by Meyer's paid experts...yet, Chairman Tournier didn't see this as enough to question what the paid "experts" representing a mining company were saying. Several real estate agents spoke during the public comments and offered their own expert comments in regard to the home values. Was this not enough?

How about the Village's own engineer who--under oath mind you---admitted that the new pit could potentially cause contamination of Cary's water supply? Is this not "expert" enough, Mr. Tournier?

I think Chairman Tournier needs a civics lesson and should not blame those for not doing what he should have done. Governments exist for the people---not for big business. It is the job of government to collect the facts and get outside opinions and experts and not rely on those paid experts who only represent one agenda. Ultimately, it is government's responsibility and, in this case, the Zoning Board's responsibility to order the collection of such data.

Anything less is an affront to representative government.

Welcome to Cary---the new video!

If the gravel pit is approved, what will it do for Cary? What if Cary becomes a "gravel pit" community? Here is "Welcome to Cary," envisioned as if the gravel pits are Cary's biggest assest and source of pride.

One must remember that gravel pits are not consistent with the current image of Cary as a neighborhood, family-friendly community. If you do not want Cary to become a "gravel pit community," please come to the meeting on July 12 at 7:30 pm at the Crystal Lake Holiday Inn.

New Video Coming Soon!

What would happen if Cary was to become a "gravel pit community?" We decided to do the Village a favor by creating a "Welcome to Cary" video in case the gravel pit is approved. This video can be used to help Cary's image as Cary is transformed--one pit at a time--into a community of gravel pits.

Then again, maybe not.

See the World Premiere on Monday, July 9 at 2 pm central.

EPA Violations by the Owners of Meyer Material Co.

In its petition to the Village of Cary, Meyer makes many claims about the safety of its gravel pit operation. This can be seen as very suspect, considering the company that owns Meyer---Holcim, Ltd.--- has had many violations over last several years:

• In 2006, Holcim was cited by the United States Environmental Protection Agency for Clean Air Act violations. According to the EPA, "Holcim exceeded limits on opacity, or the amount of light obscured by particulates (smoke, dust, ash), in its state operating permit" at a site it owns in Michigan. Holcim was operating 7.5 times beyond the limit.
  
• Holcim owns a cement plant in Montana and now wants to burn some 1.3 million tires at the facility, which would spew all sorts of dioxins into the air.
  
• A Holcim-owned facility in Oklahoma has been declared a "high priority violator" of the Clean Air Act several times by the EPA and has been fined $321,000.
• At a "wet-process kiln" facility in Michigan, Holcim has been charged as a "high priority violator" as well for its repeated violations of the Clean Air Act
• At a plant in Midlothian, Texas, Holcim had a permit that allowed it to put into the environment 1,540 tons of Nitrogen Oxide(NOx) a year. NOx can produce "serious" respiratory problems. However, the plant was not operating within its limits and its NOx emissions topped 3, 700 tons a year instead. Apparently, Holcim was charged with 15 violations of state and federal pollution laws at this one plant alone.
  
• In 1999, the state of Iowa discovered that Holcim failed to report excess emissions at a plant.
• A Holcim plant in Florence, Colorado, failed air pollution tests three times in 1996.
• In 2005, 9 plants in Massachusetts were fined $188,000 for air and water quality violations . These plants are operated by Aggregate Industries, which is owned by Holcim.
  

In 2004, Holcim enacted its own "Code of Conduct" and declared that "violations will not be tolerated." That is what they say on their website.

And, as the old cliche goes.....actions speak louder than words.

Is this the type of company we want operating in Cary?

Is it worth the risk?

The Extent of the New Pit

Over the last couple of weeks, we have talked to many people all over Cary who are not only opposed to the pit, but also are unsure as to the extent of the proposed pit. Many people think the pit will encompass only the parcel of land zoned residential immediately to the west of Fox Trails. This is not true as the map published in today's Northwest Herald shows:

This pit will also encompass the land in Cary along Route 31. This land is zoned commercial/retail. When the current zoning laws were put in place for the land that Meyer now owns, a complex of stores, multifamily and single family homes were envisioned. In fact, the village spent tax payer dollars to provide sewer and other utilities to the area. The hook-ups are there and would be destroyed if Meyer turns this land into a giant hole.

This pit will double the size of the current pit and will affect more than just Fox Trails:

• Greenfields and Cimarron will feel the presence of the pit in terms of dust and noise
• Those using Hoffman Park will not only hear the pit but will be breathing in dust and other particulates while walking, jogging or riding bikes along the path
• Kids will have easy access from Hoffman park to go "exploring" the pit
• Stores directly across from the pit on Route 31 will have to contend with dust, noise and trucks
• Pauly Toyota will have a new storefront located just north of the pit. Their new car-lots will be covered in a constant layer of dust
• Walmart customers will also be subjected to dust and noise when visiting the store located on Route 31 just north of the pit
• The village of Cary and, consequently all of Cary, will suffer as the sales revenue and the property tax revenue from homes and stores will not come in. We will be left with a giant hole in the ground--a worthless and dangerous eyesore

The pit is a bad idea not only for Cary, but for the entire area. Please come to the next Zoning Board meeting to be held on Thursday, July 12 at 7:30 at the Holiday Inn in Crystal Lake.

HELP US MAKE A NEW VIDEO!

Do you want to act in a new anti-gravel pit video?

We are in the process of creating a new video to show the community (and the world) our displeasure with the idea of making Cary a gravel pit community.

We need people involved. I don't want to give away to much with what we plan to do.....but, if you are interested, please contact us. We need all sorts of people, including children, to partake in our latest endeavor. This video is guaranteed to bring more attention to the pit issue.

Contact us at:

no_cary_quarry@yahoo.com

More work to be done....

There was a pretty good turnout at last night's zoning board meeting. It was nice getting to talk and meet with many of the those who came. There was a crowd of about 150 people. But, in order to truly stop this from happening, we need more people. We need to blanket the room with people---standing room only and then some.

One thing that will help our campaign is to create "media moments." Papers love to publish images that are provocative. Therefore, we have made available some products to help spread our message. Imagine if everyone at the meeting had one of these:



We designed the products and they are made by Cafe Press. They charge a base price for each product and then we mark up the price by only 50 cents to $1. The purpose of providing these products is not to make money, but to spread a message. What little money is made will help defray the cost of flyers, signs and buttons, etc.

Click here to enter the store and see what is available. We need to get as many people in Cary as we can to understand the impact that this pit will have on the entire community.

http://www.cafepress.com/no_quarry

Zoning Board Meeting TONIGHT!

The time has come. The Zoning Board meeting is TONIGHT at 7:30 at the Holiday Inn in Crystal Lake. Over the past couple of weeks, we have blanketed Cary with flyers, send out emails and letters to the paper...and managed to get some nice media coverage.

But the task is not complete. We need as many people as possible to come out to tonight's meeting. There is strength in numbers.

We will be presenting the Board with a petition of over 200 names of Cary residents opposed to the gravel pit. And the amazing thing is this: the names come from ALL OVER CARY---not just in the Fox Trails subdivision.

See you at the meeting. The time to stop the pit is NOW!



NOTE: Members of the press can download a large, high resolution version of the above image here.

NIMBY....not quite

I just received an email that stated, "I suspect you are NIMBYS." That was the second such email that I received. It was a term I had not heard much, but it was used both times as a pejorative.

So, I did some research.

The term NIMBY was first used in 1980, so it is a relatively recent word used to describe people who oppose certain land developments in or near their homes, such as landfills, garbage transfer facilities, commercial developments (ie Walmart), etc. However, the term has grown in the last decade to describe people who do not want ANY development and has been used in a more negative way. Hence the two emails.

Let's just clear something up. We are opposed to a GRAVEL PIT being created on the land. That's it. Plain and simple.

The area adjacent to Fox Trails is zoned for residential. We would like to keep it that way. So if Meyer wants to sell the land to a developer....by all means, they have the right. We knew that land was zoned residential when we bought our home 5 years ago and would not oppose such use. (As it stands...Meyer also knew that land was zoned residential but now want to change the law)

A residential development would benefit all of Cary so much more than a gravel pit. Let's look at the statistics:

• The gravel pit would generate only $170 a year or so in real estate taxes per acre. This is why Meyer has offered the village a "donation" of $250,000 a year for the length of the extended use permit.
• A single family home generates over $5000 in real estate taxes on 1/4 of an acre. So, you put up homes and real estate taxes generated by those homes are over $24,000 for an acre of land.

So, we are not technically NIMBYS. We don't oppose any development. We just don't want a new gravel pit next to our neighborhood.

So perhaps we are No Gravel Pit in Our Back Yards type of people.

But we wouldn't want one in your backyard, either.

Cary, Illinois: A Gravel Pit Community?

Check out our new mini-documentary about the proposed gravel pit in Cary. We cannot let Meyer get away with this. Pass this video on to others---the more who see it the better!

Note: This video is 4 minutes long and may take a little bit to load completely. Please be patient.




The video can also be found at Google Video: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6546217386573707509&hl=en

The GRAVEL PIT--What it Means for Cary

On the Village of Cary website, you can view the Meyer Materials petition. Meyer wants to build a quarry---or, more appropriately---a gravel pit in land adjacent to the Fox Trails subdivision. According to the petition, this land is 240 acres (of which 108 is located in Cary) and will be used for mining operations until 2016. What does this mean for Cary?

• The mining operations will be only 200 feet from property on the west portion of the Fox Trails subdivision
• Heavy machinery will be used. This machinery includes: front-end loaders, hydraulic excavators, a conveyor system, a grizzly feeder and a jaw crusher to pulverize the larger pieces of stone.
• Off-road trucks will be used to transport "overburden" materials.

The operation of the mine--from now until 2016--will be conducted from 6am to 6 pm Monday through Friday and 7am to 3pm on Saturday. That means that there will be 305 days a year of active mining. Over the course of the plan, that means

over 2745 days
and over 32,000 hours
of noise, dust and pollution!

We need to let the village know that this is unacceptable. Although we have experienced dust and noise from the farmland, this is nothing compared to the potential dust and noise from an active mining operation.

We are certain that the proposed mine will:

• increase dust and noise in the neighborhoods near the mine
• prove to be a safety hazard for children in the area
• lower our property values

According to the Canadian environmental group, Gravel Watch,

Recent studies show that fine particulates pose a greater danger to our health than better known kinds of air pollution, such as smog, sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide. There is incontrovertible evidence that increased PM 10 [fine dust, under 10 microns] is related to increases in cardiopulmonary disease, asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, pneumoconiosis and premature death in those with pre-existing conditions. The elderly and the young are most affected. Crystalline silica dust is common from processing sand and gravel and is a known carcinogen.

Click here to see an animation of what happens to the lungs when fine particulates are inhaled.

This is unacceptable. Join us as we oppose the the creation of this gravel pit.

If you would like to get involved, email us at no_cary_quarry@yahoo.com

OUR FIRST FLYER--DOWNLOAD IT NOW!

We have quickly created a flyer to put up in places around the neighborhood. It's important to raise awareness about this important issue and get people together.

The flyer is available for download. If you could print it out and put it up in your place of work, in storefronts or at your church, it will be greatly appreciated.

The flyer is in .pdf format and is available here.

Thank you.

If you have any questions or want to get involved, email us at no_cary_quarry@yahoo.com

Welcome to the Stop the Quarry in Cary Website

After this week's meeting with Meyer Material Co. and the Village of Cary's Zoning Board, we decided that it was time to raise some voices. We do not feel that the proposed quarry is in the best interest of the citizens of Cary, Illinois.

We need to organize.

We need to let the Village know that this proposal is not acceptable.

We need to educate the community about the negative impact of the plan submitted by Meyer Material Company.

We need your help.

Sign the petition and check back often for updates.

Contact us at no_cary_quarry@yahoo.com if you would like to get involved.