​​YOUR HEALTH THREATENED

The proposed gravel mining pit and recycling operation poses significant health risks, primarily due to the dust it will generate.  According to the American Lung Association and OSHA, silica dust from such operations can contain harmful carcinogenic particulates that exacerbate asthma and other respiratory issues. Exposure to these particulates has been linked to long-term health consequences, including Lung Cancer, Silicosis, COPD, Pulmonary TB, Kidney Disease and autoimmune disorders. What is YOUR health worth? The particulate matter is invisible, 100 times smaller than a particle of sand. Particulate matter sized PM 10 is classified as inhalable coarse particles. This silica dust falls into the size classification of PM 2.5, meaning it’s even smaller, harder to suppress and mitigate making it all the more respirable. These microscopic particles penetrate deep into the lungs and can cause permanent, irreversible damage. These dangers disproportionately affect those 55+, the immuno-compromised and children.

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YOUR WATER SUPPLY DEGRADED

This is the water YOU drink. The City's water supply could be impacted because:

• Contaminants from mining enter the City's water supply

• The proposed mine is located in a Class 3 EPA protected groundwater zone​

• Depleted water supply from mining use

• Taxes increase to meet the demands of mine water usage on the City's well

• Mining will go below the current water table exposing the table to the atmosphere and increasing evaporation, thus reducing the groundwater recharge

• It lowers the water tables, tapping directly into your groundwater supply

• Read all about it HERE in this letter from scientists at the Illinois State Geological Survey in conjunction with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, specific to this proposed mine site

• Read all about it HERE in this letter addressed to the City from the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission

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YOUR HEALTH, SAFETY, WELFARE, AIR & WATER QUALITY SOLD OUT

Sales generated specifically from this Super Aggregate's mine (the company’s other operations are located outside of Woodstock) would yield an insignificant 1% in sales tax revenue, which Mr. Pease estimates at approximately $100,000 per year, paid to the City of Woodstock. In addition, the City would receive an annual royalty payment of $50,000. When measured against the City’s 2025-2026 fiscal year budget totaling $74 Million in revenue, this combined $150,000 amounts to just 0.2% of the City’s annual revenue. In other words, for a fraction of one percent of the budget, the community’s health, safety, welfare, and the quality of its water and air would be put at risk; a minimal financial return with potentially significant long-term consequences.

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POLITICAL BAIT & SWITCH

The proposed mine expansion directly conflicts with the City’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan which designates these parcels for residential land use, not mining/industrial use. Approving a mine in this location would represent a serious breach of trust for residents who purchased their homes with the reasonable expectation that the property across the street would one day become additional housing, consistent with the City’s long-term plan. In 2024, the City invested taxpayer dollars to hire a professional land planning consultant to carefully and methodically develop a sustainable vision for Woodstock’s future. According to the City, “The Woodstock Comprehensive Plan serves as a foundation and guiding document for the City's development over the next 20 years. It establishes a shared vision for the future and identifies the strategies, policies, and recommendations necessary to achieve that vision.” You can read the goals of the Comprehensive Plan HERE. Allowing a mine to operate within 250 feet of homes and a public park contradicts the Plan’s stated goals and core principles. To disregard the very document created to guide responsible growth would not only undermine community trust, but also render the taxpayer investment in that planning effort meaningless and wasteful.

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YOUR TAX DOLLARS SPENT

Your tax dollars will be spent repairing the road damage caused by the significant increase in heavy truck traffic associated with this mine. Mr. Pease stated that over the mine’s projected 15-year lifespan, approximately 220,000 trucks will enter the site and another 220,000 trucks will exit (a total of 440,000 heavy truck trips) to excavate and transport the amount of material he expects to extract. That breaks down to nearly 30,000 truck trips per year-roughly 560 per week-or about 80 per day, attributable solely to this operation. These figures assume operations occur 365 days per year. In reality, since the mine will not operate every single day, the daily truck traffic will likely be closer to 100 trucks per day. This level of sustained heavy traffic will place substantial wear and tear on local roads, leading to increased maintenance costs that taxpayers will be expected to cover.

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YOUR PROPERTY VALUES DECREASE

Residents living within a 3-mile radius of the mine will see property values decrease up to 20-30% while property taxes continue to increase, with those closest to the mine being exponentially affected. Numerous studies show that living near gravel pits and industrial mining lowers property values and diminishes overall neighborhood desirability. Property values often suffer from a "stigma effect" where concerns over environmental pollution and safety issues become a significant deterrent to potential homebuyers, lowering both housing demand and price.​ This project threatens not only our health, but also the financial investment families have made in their homes and community.

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YOUR TAX DOLLARS FORFEITED

Your tax dollars will go towards restoring the pit lake/land when Super Aggregates "gifts" it to the City at the termination of their mining activities (15 years puts that at 2041) instead of making vital road repairs or other infrastructure improvements.

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OPERATING UNDER THE RADAR

Super Aggregates current mine on Route 14 & Lily Pond Road currently operates under the ROSS Permit Program through the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Under the ROSS program, smaller sources eligible for registration can avoid several potentially burdensome regulatory obligations and their associated costs including exemption from having to submit Annual Emission Reports. If the new mining site also qualifies for the ROSS Program, it could be exponentially polluting our air and no one would know because they aren't required to submit Annual Emission Reports.

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OTHER CONCERNS

• Noise from operational activities

• Property damage - cracked windshields and chipped paint from aggregate left on our public roads

• Increased diesel fuel exhaust and emissions

• Vibrations in homes from mining equipment use

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DON'T BE FOOLED

Mr. Pease is selling us on a "Three Oaks-style" recreation site. The promise of a future recreational lake is speculative, projected 15 years away, and would cost the operator NOTHING, while potentially costing taxpayers $20-$30 Million dollars to construct* and maintain. This is a risky and irresponsible trade-off.

 

*This number is based off of Featherstone's $14.1 Million dollar budget in 2009 to construct Three Oaks, extrapolated out to 2041 using the Consumer Price Index conservatively for inflation. It's not apples to apples as project size and scope will inevitably vary and is unpredictable, but it's a case study for reference. There are grants available for park development. However, OSLAD grants are capped at 50% of the project's construction cost up to a maximum award of $600,000. PARC grants are given priority to the construction of indoor recreation facilities, which this would not be. So tax-payers would be left to foot the bill.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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​​​​​​​​​​​To the tax paying citizens of the City of Woodstock, our local government has a duty to protect residents by prioritizing the well-being of its citizens above short-term economic and industrial gains. Approving this expansion would set a dangerous precedent that industrial interests outweigh the right to a safe and healthy community. Please let our elected officials know that we don't just oppose this in our backyard, we oppose this in anyone's backyard.

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