Farmers Weekly Review

By Nick Reiher

Following lengthy discussion, the Will County Board at its March 20 meeting narrowly approved plans for a quarry at the southeast corner of Essington and 127th Street in Wheatland Township.

The issue initially came before the board last fall, but opposition by residents and the villages of Plainfield and Bolingbrook – as well as denials by the county Planning and Zoning Commission and staff — caused enough concern for the board to postpone the vote until the applicant could attempt to satisfy as many concerns as possible.

Before the vote, Assistant State’s Attorney Mary Tatroe warned board members to consider only what they hear in the hearing; not from outside during the time between the hearings.

After more than five hours of questions, comments and discussion, the board voted 12 to 10 to approve.

Voting for the quarry plan were Jim Richmond, R-Mokena; Katie Deane-Schlottman, R-Joliet; Judy Ogalla, R-Monee; Frankie Pretzel, R-New Lenox; Daniel Butler, R-Frankfort; Sherry Newquist, D-Steger; Steve Balich, R-Homer Glen; David Oxley, R-Lockport; Dawn Bullock, D-Plainfield; Vince Logan, R-Joliet; Kelly Hickey, D-Naperville; and Joe Van Duyne, D-Wilmington.

Voting against were Sherry Williams, D-Crest Hill; Herbert Brooks Jr., D-Joliet; Denise Winfrey, D-Joliet; Mica Freeman, D-Plainfield; Mark Revis, R-Plainfield; Raquel Mitchell, R-Bolingbrook; Destinee Ortiz, D-Romeoville; Julie Berkowicz, R-Naperville; Elnalyn Costa, D-Bolingbrook; and Jackie Traynere, D-Bolingbrook.

“This is by definition a compromise, whether you like it or not,” said Pretzel, Land Use chair. “I don’t think there’s anything more that could have done short of rescinding the project.”

William Graft and Gary Davidson, attorneys for Castle Law, representing the applicants, told the board that since that time, they have met with residents and officials.

As a result, they had removed 80 percent of their original request, including eliminating underground mining and onsite processing plants, and agreeing to erect a larger-than-required buffer toward District 202’s Liberty School and flooding mitigation.

Applicants also hosted residents and officials for a surface blast on its current site east of Liberty School and nearest one of the Lakelands homes on February 28. During that test, attorneys said, the applicants also monitored air quality and seismic effects.

The ambient air quality was not affected except for one minute at one station, they said. There also was little seismic and noise disruption from the blast, which lasts a few seconds, they added.

A main focus by opponents was the possibility of mined rock leaving the immediate site, called flyrock.

Applicants said they want to keep their workers and neighbors safe, and believe the large berm and blasting techniques should alleviate those concerns.

Reviewing the updated plan last month, Will County Land Use staff once again recommended denial unless certain changes were met.

Berkowicz said she still was concerned, as blasting would take place during the afternoon when school is in session. Applicants said blasting would take place mostly during the summer months, when their customers needed the crushed gravel, probably about once a week.

A mining expert hired by a group of residents testified there is no 100 percent guarantee flyrock will be contained to the site. He listed cases inside the U.S., including Illinois, and internationally, where people were killed by flyrock.

Upon questioning by county board members, he said he was not familiar with the specifics of this project, so he could not say if there was anything else other than what the applicant has done that could be added to make the project even more safe.

Opponents first testifying in September, included Bolingbrook Mayor Mary Alexander-Basta, who said the project could “severely impact the welfare, safety and the quality of life in the surrounding Village.”

Plainfield Mayor John Argoudelis also filed a resolution at that time, saying the proposed zoning actions “will be detrimental to the public health and quality of life of the area due to its direct adjacency to Plainfield and Bolingbrook residences along with Liberty Elementary School and Prairie Trails Park, and two other schools within ~1,500 feet of the subject property.”

Support letters came in from the Will-Grundy Building Trades Council, the Contractors Association of Will and Grundy Counties, the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150, as well as Wheatland Township.

Also supporting the plan is Jose Alverez, former Executive Director of the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority:

“Aggregate is a finite resource that nature determined its location and essential to support infrastructure development,” he wrote last fall. “I know first-hand the importance of delivering projects on budget and on time.

“Having access to this resource, served by interstate, and existing infrastructure is rare. Local municipalities, counties, and transportation agencies in the region will benefit from having access to this resource.”

 

Nick Reiher is editor of Farmers Weekly Review.