Gravel lobbyist, Doug Needham, says locals have too much control
Updated: Oct 20, 2021
"Official: Lobbyist who steered $50K gravel study should refund state for its cost"
Article from Detroit Free Press by Paul Egan 10/2/2019
"Emails show MDOT let lobbyist steer report on gravel shortage for Michigan roads"
Article from The Detroit Free Press June 6, 2019
Doug Needham, executive director of the Michigan Aggregates Association, also authored this guest opinion today in the Livingston Post.
Please take time to submit your comments to this 'guest opinion' on the Livingston Post website. What we read was "Our member companies (MAA members).....will benefit....... for decades to come."
Cindy A says:
Well Mr. Needham, since you are part of Michigan Aggregate, and not part of the actual community this will affect, your opinion is nonsensical. Perhaps you should come and buy my home for true market value before this debacle starts, and have gravel trains in your backyard, beep beep beep all day, silica dust flying everywhere, your windows closed all the time and your house and outdoor living spaces covered in the same. Then of course there are the gravel trains clogging traffic on roads not ready to carry their heavy loads. 10 years Mr Needham!! That is how long your so called short term conditions will be. That’s the minimum lease. They can renew. This gravel mining could go on for a couple decades. This silly Fairy Tale of a seed orchard with walking paths and birds singing is YEARS off, IF it ever happens. Because we all know that can change and the DNR can decide to sell the property at the end of the mining to housing development. No one worried about the animals and birds displaced when they clear cut the 127 acres. We had the Fairy Tale before that. So let’s see, property values plummeting as much as 35%, health issues due to silica dust (cancer), traffic issues on main bus routes and gravel trains passing schools. I’m sure I missed something. Possible water table disruptions. Not to mention those of us with homes immediately next to these sites can and probably will experience foundation issues and well issues. A seed orchard that produces any sort of a Fairy Tale atmosphere is 20-30 years off. Let’s talk about how this will ruin Oak Pointe Golf course with the dust, and the numerous State Park walking and biking trails, Bishop Lake, the Campgrounds, Chilson Pond and the Horse Campgrounds, the riding stables, and numerous outdoor recreation areas surrounding these proposed Gravel Pit Sites. This is right in the middle of a RECREATIONAL AND RESIDENTIAL area surrounded by hundred and hundreds of homes. In the meantime, they will have ruined the lives of thousands of residents and plummeted them into health risks and financial ruin with the drop in property value. Come sit where I am Mr Needham. This is my backyard, NOT YOURS. I actually love being outdoors and enjoying fresh air, wildlife and a life I’ve spent 20 years building here. Go pedal the Fairy Tale someplace else. I’m not buying it, and neither is anyone else that knows the WHOLE truth.