Our local Water Supply:
The proposed Merryman Excavating Gravel Pit site happens to be over one of this area’s largest and most important water aquifers. This Aquifer is an important source of clean and safe water many of us pretty much take for granted. Approved ‘clean/site fill’ hauled back and dumped into Gravel Pits can actually include contamination from the outside locations they originate from. Such contamination can pose a real risk.

Although not noted on the petition, there is also a standing pond as well as the Franklinville Creek adjacent to the proposed site which would be at potential risk with this project.

Water should be a concern for everyone.

Access to State Highway:
Typically, Gravel Pits are located very near to if not with direct access to a State Highway. Such ensures the safety of travel on what are well funded, well maintained, and typically traffic signal controlled intersections.

This proposed pit location requires travel along SEVERAL MILES of local roadway which include parts of South Street, Hobe Road, and Kishwaukee Valley Road. This represents a very significant potential increase for industrial traffic along the affected route which is consists primarily of residential and some farm traffic.

These are large, diesel trucks which will be traversing our country side. They will make significant noise along their route, belch measurable exhaust pollutants, as well as present potential general traffic safety issues.

This proposed pit has impact likely to be well beyond just its general proximity. This kind and volume of Heavy Industrial Traffic is likely to significantly affect local property values and the general quality of life along the route traveled.

Regardless of what the petitioner may try to convince, the impact of up to 400 trucks a day going by your home or neighborhood would certainly be something of significant consideration. Citizens have paid a price to move into areas potentially affected to get away from just this kind of thing.

No shortage of Gravel:
Admittedly, Gravel is a very important resource and one which Illinois happens to have a great abundance of. McHenry County and the surrounding area, at present, have no shortage of Gravel Pit mining operations currently supplying needs of this mineral resource. This is evidenced by existing sites that have been approved for a Gravel Pit operation, but do not yet have any mining operation started.

How and Why to Stop this pit?
This is nothing personal towards Merryman Aggregate, its owners, partners, etc. We respect their right to do business and certainly understand why they would seek to mine the proposed South Street site. There is a significant gravel reserve at that location and it happens to be owned by a non-resident party who has no qualms with leasing it to Merryman Aggregate for the purpose of mining. Merryman Aggregate has a significant financial gain with a successful result to their land user petitioning. They mean business....

And so do we, except our business citizens is to protect the beautiful countryside that drew us to living out here in the first place. Laws of record require these kinds of operations to be provable as non-impacting to local property values, quality of life, safety, and health.

As there is a significant financial gain in pursuit here, the petitioner has pulled out the stops with an expensive legal team as well as paid expert witnesses to promote their cause. These expert witnesses, paid by the petitioner, come loaded with selective facts that support their client’s (Merryman Aggregate) petition – but typically provide answers that are ONLY OPINION without support of exhibited/testified fact when ‘areas of their expertise’ are called on which would undermine the petitioner. There is a reason the petitioner is paying those selected experts to testify.

It’s up to us, the citizens, to show up at these hearings and impose those questions which illustrate the potential harm that could result from a pit at the South Street location. It’s up to us to contact and communicate these concerns to our McHenry County Board Representatives. It’s up to us to Stop The Woodstock Pit!