PLEASE READ & SHARE WIDELY! THE TIME IS NOW TO ACT—WILL YOU SPEAK FOR THE EARTH? On June 19th, after nearly 10 hours of testimony and cross examination, the Northern White Sand LLC public hearing concluded with the County Zoning Board of Appeals recommending a NO vote for Special-Use Application No. 1— the slurry/water pipeline, processing plant (set to be located atop the volatile, uncapped Brockman II Landfill and adjacent to the Brockman I Superfund site), and rail and semi-truck transmodal facility. They did, however, recommend a YES vote for Special-Use Application No. 2—the barge terminal on the Illinois River complete with storage silos. This recommendation by the ZBA for the denial of Application No. 1 holds great significance for the citizens of LaSalle County. It is this application that could potentially result in calamitous repercussions for the public and environment in the form of aquifer depletion; surface/groundwater contamination; and noise, light, traffic, and air pollution of neighboring residencies, the LaSalle County Nursing Home, Buffalo Rock State Park, the Illinois and Michigan Canal, and the wetlands area near the proposed site. On July 10th at 1 p.m., the two special-use applications will go before the LaSalle County Board for a final vote. Below are two sets of actions that you can take to support local efforts. Action 1. Please attend the LaSalle County Board vote on July 10th at 1 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall at 401 W. Main St. in Ottawa, IL. An impressive turnout is absolutely imperative! Encourage your neighbors, friends, and loved ones to come out and show their support for the ZBA’s recommendation. Action 2. Please mail or email a letter to members of the LaSalle County Board before the vote. This letter is simply a talking point, so please make certain that you personalize your message. See the sample letter below: Dear LaSalle County Board: [If signatory’s home or business address is within LaSalle County, address this letter to their respective board member; see lasallecounty.org/flctybrd/files/board_members.htm and lasallecounty.org/ctyclerk/index_dist_reapp.htm.] I ask that you uphold the ZBA’s recommendation to deny Northern White Sand’s (NWS) Special-Use Proposal 1 (14-04-S.U.). Issues pertaining to traffic, homeowners’ property values, air, noise, and light pollution have yet to be addressed by this petitioner. The scarcity of information provided by NWS in their application fails to acknowledge environmental concerns of hydrology and ignores testimony and documented IEPA violations of illegal, liquid, hazardous waste dumping at and around their proposed site for an industrial-scale, sand processing plant and settling basin. Recall at the NWS hearing, the company spokesperson and attorney stated, “If you have enough engineers and enough money, you can build anything.” Not once, but twice in his summation, Mr. John Duncan opined, “If you have enough engineers and money, you can solve these problems, and all your fears and speculations will never come to pass.” Is the County Board willing to play Russian roulette with the health, safety, and welfare of the public and environment by consenting to Northern White Sand’s requests based upon ambiguities, omission of hard facts, and sketchy assurances? I hope not. Please strike down NWS Proposal 14-04-S.U. at your next board meeting on July 10th at 1 p.m. Sincerely, (First and last name) (Address, city zip code) [If signator’s home or business address is within LaSalle County]
Posted on: Wed, 02 Jul 2014 21:02:17 +0000
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