[Vision2020] gravel pits
Joan Opyr
auntiestablishment@hotmail.com
Thu, 3 Jun 2004 10:54:23 -0700
------=_NextPart_001_0000_01C44959.21601B00
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Wayne writes:
>Gravel pits can have horrible adverse impacts. Crushing and blasting op=
erations can be heard for >miles. Dust becomes a problem. Heavy, someti=
mes arrogantly reckless, large truck traffic will be >increased. Blastin=
g can affect the water table -- some might lose wells. [This happened wi=
th a small >gravel pit in our neighborhood.]
My family and I know this to be true to our sorrow. Many years ago, the =
county commissioners (including Democrat Loreca Stauber) voted unanimousl=
y to grant a conditional use permit to North Idaho Crushing to operate a =
gravel pit across the road from our home. The noise was terrible, the du=
st and the diesel fumes sometimes chokingly thick, and the traffic fast a=
nd heavy. Living next door to this industrial operation was a nightmare,=
made worse by the county's decision to allow the rock pit to lease space=
to an agricultural chemical supplier. (The reasoning, apparently, was s=
ince they'd already approved the rock pit, what the heck? Why not have a=
n industrial free-for-all?) So, in addition to the racket of the rock cr=
usher, we also got to enjoy the wonderful view and aroma of an enormous a=
nhydrous ammonia tank right outside our kitchen window.
In the summer months, the operational hours of these two businesses were =
24/7. Though the county agreed to restrict North Idaho Crushing's workin=
g hours from 6 am to 9 pm, these restrictions did not apply to the ag. ch=
emical folks, nor to the loading of gravel trucks. Ever awakened to the =
sound of ten tons of basalt rock hitting the metal bottom of a dump truck=
? Or an anhydrous ammonia tank being refilled from two a.m. to four a.m.=
by a loudly chugging tractor-trailer? We did, for more than a decade. =
The restrictions the county imposed on these businesses were minimal and,=
as we discovered, unenforceable. When we complained -- and that was oft=
en -- offering clear and undisputed evidence that some practice or anothe=
r was in violation of county ordinance, we were told time and again that =
the county had neither the manpower nor the money to enforce its own rule=
s. Gravel was stored next to a creek on a floodplain; no problem. There=
was a diesel filling station next to the same creek; hunky-dory. Great =
chunks of rock were regularly blasted across the road and into our front =
yard (and once through a neighbor's roof); peachy keen. Nothing the coun=
ty could or would do. =20
Eventually, we hired an attorney, and after three years of legal battles =
and God knows how much money, the gravel pit made us an offer we couldn't=
refuse: they bought us out. Of course, the value of the house wasn't wh=
at it might have been if it hadn't been across the road from a gravel pit=
and an ag. chemical depot, but what can you do? Tim, unfortunately, is =
right on this point -- it doesn't seem to matter if the commissioners are=
Democrats or Republicans. In Latah County, gravel pit trumps homeowner =
each and every time.
I pity those folks up near Potlatch, I really do. They have a long, frus=
trating, hopeless battle ahead of them.
Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Exp=
lorer download : http://explorer.msn.com
------=_NextPart_001_0000_01C44959.21601B00
Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
<HTML><BODY BGCOLOR=3D"#ffffff" STYLE=3D"font:10pt verdana; border:none;b=
ackground-color:#ffffff; "><DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Wayne writes:</DIV> <DI=
V> </DIV> <DIV>>Gravel pits can have horrible adverse impacts.&nb=
sp; Crushing and blasting operations can be heard for >miles. Du=
st becomes a problem. Heavy, sometimes arrogantly reckless, large t=
ruck traffic will be >increased. Blasting can affect the wa=
ter table -- some might lose wells. [This happened with a small >=
;gravel pit in our neighborhood.]</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>My family =
and I know this to be true to our sorrow. Many years ago, the count=
y commissioners (including Democrat Loreca Stauber) voted unanimously to =
grant a conditional use permit to North Idaho Crushing to operate a grave=
l pit across the road from our home. The noise was terrible, the du=
st and the diesel fumes sometimes chokingly thick, and the traffic fast a=
nd heavy. Living next door to this industrial operation was a =
nightmare, made worse by the county's decision to allow the rock pit=
to lease space to an agricultural chemical supplier. (The reasonin=
g, apparently, was since they'd already approved the rock pit, what the h=
eck? Why not have an industrial free-for-all?) So, in additio=
n to the racket of the rock crusher, we also got to enjoy the w=
onderful view and aroma of an enormous anhydrous ammonia tank right =
outside our kitchen window.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>In the summer mo=
nths, the operational hours of these two businesses were 24/7.&=
nbsp; Though the county agreed to restrict North Idaho Crushing's working=
hours from 6 am to 9 pm, these restrictions did not apply=
to the ag. chemical folks, nor to the loading of gravel trucks.&nbs=
p; Ever awakened to the sound of ten tons of basalt rock hitting the meta=
l bottom of a dump truck? Or an anhydrous ammonia tank being refill=
ed from two a.m. to four a.m. by a loudly chugging tractor-trailer? =
We did, for more than a decade. The restrictions the county impose=
d on these businesses were minimal and, as we discovered, unenforceable.&=
nbsp; When we complained -- and that was often -- offering=
clear and undisputed evidence that some practice or another was in =
violation of county ordinance, we were told time and again that the =
county had neither the manpower nor the money to enforce its own rul=
es. Gravel was stored next to a creek on a floodplain; no prob=
lem. There was a diesel filling station next to the same creek; hun=
ky-dory. Great chunks of rock were regularly blasted across th=
e road and into our front yard (and once through a neighbor's roof);=
peachy keen. Nothing the county could or would do. </DI=
V> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Eventually, we hired an attorney, and after thr=
ee years of legal battles and God knows how much money, the gravel pit ma=
de us an offer we couldn't refuse: they bought us out. Of course, t=
he value of the house wasn't what it might have been if it hadn't been ac=
ross the road from a gravel pit and an ag. chemical depot, but what can y=
ou do? Tim, unfortunately, is right on this point -- it doesn'=
t seem to matter if the commissioners are Democrats or Rep=
ublicans. In Latah County, gravel pit trumps homeowner each and eve=
ry time.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I pity those folks up near Potlatch=
, I really do. They have a long, frustrating, hopeless battle =
ahead of them.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishmen=
t </DIV> <DIV> </DIV></BODY></HT=
ML><br clear=3Dall><hr>Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download=
: <a href=3D'http://explorer.msn.com'>http://explorer.msn.com</a><br></p=
>
------=_NextPart_001_0000_01C44959.21601B00--