Rep. Bollin: DNR listens to concerns of Livingston County residents, halts plan for gravel pit

STOP THE GRAVEL PIT!
GENOA TOWNSHIP, MICHIGAN
BRIGHTON TOWNSHIP, Michigan
"Neighbors of the proposed open pit gravel mine have clearly defined rights to clean air, clean water, safe roads, a quiet neighborhood, and a reliance on stable property values."
What's going on?

You probably noticed the clear cutting of state recreational land near the southeast corner of Chilson and Brighton Roads in Genoa Township.
The state claims to be preparing for a seed orchard. BUT, they claim it will take years of gravel mining this property to make it useful. This significantly affects you and your property.
Get informed

Be sure to visit this site often. Recent conversations indicate the State plans on limiting our opportunity to voice our opposition to the project. We can not allow this to happen! Please contact every official you can to offer your opinion. Tell your neighbors. Like our Facebok page and share content to your friends list. Stay informed, this has a direct impact on you.
News / Updates

This portion of the site will be populated with detailed information on the negative impact the state's project will have on the residents for Genoa Township and surrounding areas. We will include all published news article and any responses by the State of Michigan or Genoa Township. This is where meeting notices will be posted. If you would like to contribute, please contact us.

How does the Gravel Pit affect me?
Very serious consequences
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Open Pit Gravel Mines Depress Property Values — FOR MILES! Numerous studies show that this type of mining dramatically depresses property values for miles around. Values drop from 5% as far away as 3-miles and as much as 35% within 1/2–mile!
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Damaged Property Values Severely Affect Tax Revenues. It only follows that decreased property values lead to a decrease in tax revenues for the township and Livingston County. To address these shortfalls, governments either need to cut back — or increase everyone's tax rates. So even if your property value doesn't fall, you are still negatively affected by the overall value damage!
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Gravel Mine Would Create Widely Known Deadly Health Issues that Would Harm Hundreds of Livingston County Residents. Until recently, few understood the dangers created by crystalline silica dust. It has proven links to diseases that lead to death including silicosis, lung cancer, COPD, renal failure, and kidney disease as well as causing auto-immune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis.
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Ground water disturbance. What's in the ground? Hundreds, if not thousands, of residents rely on groundwater drawn near the proposed mining site. Mining operations, washing, dust control and digging has the high probability of disturbing an already fragile groundwater source.
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Traffic Safety the danger gravel truck traffic would most certainly create is perhaps the most frightening — as it is also the most deadly. The danger is created by 82 ton gravel trucks slowly pulling out onto Chilson or Brighton Roads. What is the actual stopping distance of an 82 ton gravel train with brakes in less than peak condition that is speeding at 55 mph on wet roads?
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Noise. The clamor of a gravel mine includes the revving of diesel engines from gravel trucks, bull dozers, crushers, sorters, and other equipment, the clanging racket of machines at work, and the daylong annoyance of OSHA required backup beeping – BEEP BEEP BEEP! This combined with the creation of noxious smells will lead to the loss of property enjoyment.
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Michigan’s gravel statue provides categories of ‘very serious consequences’ (VSQ) into which all of these concerns can be grouped [MCL § 125.3205 (5) (a) through (f)]. Using broad labels, these include Existing Land Uses, Environmental Issues, Protection of Property Values, Traffic Safety, and Local Health, Safety, & Welfare.
This project will affect Genoa Township, Brighton Township, The City of Brighton, Howell, Hamburg Township, Pinkney and surrounding areas.

HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED?
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Attend all township meetings and hearings.
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Contact the Township Offices
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Contact State Representatives
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Express your thoughts to the Michigan Forestry Department
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Familiarize yourself with MICHIGAN ZONING ENABLING Act 110 of 2006 and hold your officials accountable.
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Donate to the expenses incurred while opposing the Gravel Pit.
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Subscribe to our email list
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Want to contribute your time and talents? We would love your help! Email info@stopthegravelpit.com to get involved.
background photo Livingston Daily