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.
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:
The IEPA recommends that the Village of Cary extend the setback zone around well #10 in order to lessen the possibility of contamination.
"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)
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)
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.
18 comments:
All of you working together to stop this development are doing a phenomenal job!
Please, please, please keep fighting! This would have passed through quietly, long ago, if not for you.
Regardless of the outcome of this instance, I hope that you continue to protect Cary and its residents from inappropriate and harmful development.
Thank you for being models of active, informed, and responsible citizens. -KW
mountainbiker wrote on Sep 5, 2007 7:43 PM:
" As my father is fond of saying, "Son, the fix is in." I moved here five years ago and was immediately puzzled as to why Cary had an "acting mayor" (Steve Lamal) does this mean that in Cary one must first "act" like a mayor before reaping the rewards of the office? It would certainly be great to have our current mayor actually behave as if he really had the communities best interests in mind concerning his obvious approvel of the Meyer pit. Excuse me, but what exactly will the people of the village gain by the digging of a 190+ acre hole in our town? A 190 acre hole in our town with some water in it, that's what. Look, people, as a child I used to sneak into the Peterson Pit in Libertyville and I never got caught. Talk about danger, I just climbed over the fence, no problem. I have to laugh, how many of the people at last night's meeting have ever been inside of a gravel pit while it is in operation? Other than Mr. Wille and myself not many, I suspect. Let me tell you the truth about what is about to happen to out community, the dust and noise are so bad that you can hardly believe it. The "experts" from Meyer's (real name Switzerland) have quite the story going about just how nonintrusive a gravel mining operation can really be! Does anyone out there remember Pinoccio? I'm still not clear on what Cary residents will gain by having this obnoxious, filthy operation in our village? Surely it can not be the virtual pittance of money they are offering the village (considering the vast sums that Switzerland will gain in profits, at our expense? Perhaps this is one for my Papa, "The fix is in son". PS Over the years I have seen the "fix" collapse under the weight of enough people who were outraged at obvious miscarriage that was about to happen. Don't give up! Let these Cary officials know that they will never be elected for any government position ever again if they support this self-serving atrocity. Show-up at every meeting and stare them down! Rage against the machine! "
What will they have? A recreational lake plus commercial development. All that it is now is a field. As long as there are binding contractual obligations to transform the land when done, this is what we will have.
And as far as your dangerous past events. You were breaking the law. You snuck onto private property and were swimming where it was prohibited. Try taking some responsibility for your own actions. If anything would have happened it would have been your own fault, no one else's. How about we have everyone (including our children and their parents) be responsible for their own actions, instead of finding the nearest scapegoat.
What if you were playing on railroad tracks, or in the middle of the road? Gonna complain about the dangers about mass transit?
As far as the fix being in, some people have their mind determined already based on the evidence. Unless you have evidence that the fix is in, you are only slandering people. I can not stand posts on this site and others that say "the fix is in"..."money has traded hands"....I can easily say that all anti pit posts are being done by posters who have been promised cash reimbursements by Mr. Janu, the operator of this blog. Of course, saying so without proof is SLANDER.
"All that it is now is a field."
And it should stay that way.
Ummm...basically anything has the "potential" to contaminate groundwater. A person urinating on the ground has the "potential" to contaminate groundwater. Again, the village engineer really should be called the village "idiot". He's giving the politcally correct answer because he was lit up against a lawyer in the Kiswaukee Valley Water Authority case where he tried to play both sides of the fence. So who are you going to go after for all the dust and pollen created by the plants in the current field? Going to sue the developer who may put homes there from the dust they create during construction? What's next?
"All that it is now is a field."
And it should stay that way.
------------------------------------
So it is not the gravel pit that you are against, but anything going there?
I have an idea.. The land is zoned residential... Let's throw a dense midrise project (4-5 story buildings) of condos. That should make for a few thousand more residents (assuming about 500 units split between 10 or so buildings). What a nice view you'll have out of your backyard then.....
After all, it does fit within the residential zoning.
NIMBYism at it's best...
Have to say that without this blog, I’d never have known about this zoning request. I’ve lived in Cary for 14 years, and at the risk of sounding too sentimental, it’s not the town I moved to anymore. Cary does a fair job of letting us know about the things the Village is proud of, but negative issues like this (something I’d consider to be of significant interest) tend to be handled much more quietly. I’ve noticed a sign over near the Sage property all summer which indicates that Cary is planning to build (and move?) the downtown area – positive or negative – this will affect the heart and soul of Cary. A significant expansion of a gravel pit (and the broken windshields courtesy of uncovered gravel trucks) will have an equally profound impact on the soul of Cary; why no big sign on Cary-Algonquin announcing this change?
I drive by the quarry north of Fox Lake most days – the constant crush of heavy trucks and the mess they make to the surrounding area is something I hope to never see in Cary. I’m amazed that we require the voters to approve a small increase in taxes to cover improvements to Cary, but, if not for this blog, a negative change of more far-reaching impact can be made in Cary without a whisper from the Village leadership.
Actually it's not Cary that is planning to build the "new downtown". It is the developer who wants to build multi story condos/apartments with shops below it that exceed the maximum height requirements. To date, the village has not supported this and states that this is NOT the new downtown of Cary.
So the downtown is not moving. And as far stating that extending a gravel pit, would have the same level of impact is ridiculous.
It will be an inconvenience for some. Hopefully measures will be in place to offset them. But the end result will be commercial growth for the village and a nice recreational area.
In a post recorded September 13, 2007 8:33 AM, the following statement was made:
"It will be an inconvenience for some. Hopefully measures will be in place to offset them."
I am one of those SOME. I ask the poster to please delineate what measures will ameliorate the INCONVENIENCE of:
1. the incessant noise, all day long, 5 1/2 days a week, of;
a) Rock crushing
b) Conveyor Belt Rattle
c) the BEEP, BEEP, BEEP of excavating equipment backing up
2. The riple of vibration that causes small things in the house to rattle when certain materials (you can hear a change of tone in the crusher noise) pass through the crusher.
3. The thick coating of dust that sticks to the house, lawn furniture, kids toys, and cars.
4. The cost of using air conditioning all summer long because if the windows are open a thin layer of dust accumulates on everything in the house.
5. Lastly and most consequential, the particulate matter that you inhale if you attempt to spend any time outside (you can feel the grit on your teeth).
I have lived with these INCONVENIENCES for almost 9 years (if the poster had lived with these, he/she would know that a gravel pit does not produce inconveniences, it produces life altering changes). I await your list of MEASURES that will OFFSET THEM so that they will be of no consequence during the next 12 years of the pit.
if this existing quarry has produced all this dust and bad things that you experince already...then why haven't you moved? If it is SOOO bad, then why did you move there in the first place? didn't you do any research before buying your home? So why was it okay to move there in the first place when you knew an existin quarry was already there? To have things rattle in your home from a crusher...I think you're stretching the truth there a little. Not even rock quarries with blasting make that kind of vibrations that close. I know, I've been in them when they blast. It's called regulations.
P.S. to Rock Hound
You never did answer the question that I posed in my originl post:
"I await your list of MEASURES that will OFFSET THEM so that they will be of no consequence during the next 12 years of the pit."
Why not do something useful for society. If you really put forth the effort, and do some critical analysis, and really think hard, I am sure that in four or five days you will be able to produce at least 0ne measure. Who knows? You might even be able to get started on a second.
TTFN
I see my response to you Rock Hard has been removed, this website is a JOKE, along with you're hopes to stop this pit. If anyone posts against this it gets removed, what a crock!!
First, I keep my air on and windows closed most of the summer since the Baseball fields are always covering my home with dust, and the noise of athletes and spectators borders on disturbing the peace, and I will be living this way for much longer than a few years.
For the few dozen homes that back up to the preposed gravel pit, I haven't seen huge night lighting at any of Meyers sites so, if you work, you won't even be home with your houses wide open when most of the noise and dust is a problem.
I think you may be lacking buyers for those homes on the market more from the unknown behind your property then the prospect of a great view.
If you think the land is going to remain vaccant you are blind to the development of McHenry county, just what do you think could be developed in the next 10 years that is better than a park and lake?
It's been a few weeks since I checked this thread.
First of all, those who have left comments about the positive impact of the pit need to be reminded that everything about the "positive" nature of the so-called recreational area is dependent on a number of things: 1. water level 2. Meyer Material Company and how diligently they prepare the land to remove high cliffs and edges. I am not convinced that this will ever happen. In fact, I think they will want to continue extended this pit North into Hoffman Park--which they can do if that land is sold.
To Rock Hound---your comment was not removed. The comment you refer to was a comment made by Hard Rock. That comment was removed by the person who posted it. As an administrator of this site, I must say that no comments have been removed other than those who voluntarily removed their own comments.
I do find it funny that my comment was one here one day and the next it was gone, and I know that I didn't remove it. I would like to know about the "high cliffs" that will be left from the mining. Are they mining solid bedrock? The angle of repose of sand is 42 degrees which means you'll NEVER create a "cliff". The biggest angle that can be left is 42 degrees otherwise the sand will collapse under it's own weight. The water level shouldn't really be going anywhere unless the entire regional aquifer that is part of the quarry goes dry.
To rock hound: regarding the 42degree angle statement. Is that fine or graded sand? I live here and those cliffs are at 90 degree's because the material being mined is not soley sand but gravel, stone and sand. This is wet and compacted by mother nature and definably stands towering 30-55 feet sheer vertical cliffs and this doesn't change after the lake fills up to water table.
(To be read as if spoken in the manner of Tweety Bird)
OOOHHH! Poor widdle Wock Hound!! I tawht I taw my comment. That mean old Puddy Tat must have stolen it!
(enough Tweety)
Oh! Rock Hound! You are SO brilliant! 42 degree sand! Angle of repose! My! My! My! My! My! Did you learn all these things while you were standing/sitting/lying in quarries while they were blasting?
Unfortunately, as usual, you are wrong again! The emperical data supports the assertions of Jim T. I can verify that those walls are just about vertical. You ought to come over here and look. It just an "existin quarry" and there isn't any blasting but you could learn something.
I'm really curious. Do you enjoy playing the fool? Or is it the natural result of your quarry-blasting experiences?
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