Negaunee Township property owner Jeremy Hansen addresses Negaunee Township Planning Commission members Tuesday regarding his concerns about an A. Lindberg and Sons’ request to expand operations at its existing gravel pit. The expansion would include blasting, extraction, grinding and washing of the natural resource. (Journal photo by Lisa Bowers)

NEGAUNEE — Dozens of Negaunee Township residents and property owners gathered at a public hearing before the township planning commission on Tuesday to weigh in on the proposed expansion of an existing gravel pit along Marquette County Road 510.

Despite not having a quorum, planning commission members and township staff gave attendees an opportunity to ask questions and voice concerns about the proposed 15-acre expansion of A. Lindberg and Sons’ existing 30-acre operation on property owned by Kona Ridge Mining LLC.

The request, if approved by both the planning commission and the Negaunee Township Board, would allow the excavation and processing of gravel, sand, fill dirt, stone, topsoil, rock and other materials for a minimum of 20 years.

According to the company’s proposed site plan, the material will be “excavated mechanically and through the use of explosives, crushed using a portable crushing complex, and stockpiled as detailed on site plan.”

The proposed operation would be an on-demand gravel pit, with hours of operation on an “as needed” basis between 7 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

“We believe that we have shown there is a valuable natural resource located on the relevant property,” an April 10 letter from ALS officials to Township Zoning Administrator Nick Leach states, “that there is a need for the natural resource and that no very serious consequences would result from the extraction, by mining, of the natural resource.”

Resident and property owner concerns ranged from groundwater contamination, use of township resources without reimbursement, impact on property values to parcels surrounding the site, seismic monitoring during blasting, damage to homes, increased truck traffic as well as water and noise pollution.

One of the most common concerns voiced at the meeting was potential damage to the Upper Peninsula Power Company hydroelectric generation facility in the McClure Basin.

Negaunee Township resident, Gary Wommer, who is also the township’s supervisor, was among those who spoke in opposition to the expansion.

He asked for proof in the form of studies or other means that would indicate that UPPCO’s generation facility would not be damaged or adversely affected.

“I don’t want anyone saying, ‘We’ll do a good job, we’ve been real careful. We’ve never broken anything before. Trust me,'” Wommer said. “I want to see somebody tell me that this is going to be a safe operation. Somewhere there is some sort of computer diagnosis that will show that it’s safe and we can do it. Then we can deal with the noise, dust and stuff like that. I want the dam safe. I am worried about that.”

Wommer said no jobs would be created by the permit, and the township would not benefit from increased taxes on the property.

“They are taxed on vacant land and they are hauling the land away. So as a township, we will be losing money with this operation,” Wommer said. “That is just the way it goes. We are not going to be able to tax them more … we are going to have to tax them less.”

According to the ALS site plan, all crushing operations would be monitored by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy and blasting operations would be regulated by the Mine Safety and Health Administration. All applicable permits will be obtained before activities are performed.

“This property has historically been utilized for mineral extraction with Longyear sales records dating back into the 1930s and recognition as a gravel pit by the Michigan Department of Transportation,” the site plan states. “Marquette County would greatly benefit by the availability of sand, gravel and rock from this site.”

The Negaunee Township Planning Commission will hold a second public hearing on the issue during its regular meeting on June 11.

If a decision is made during that meeting, final approval would rest with the Negaunee Township Board. If the permit is denied, the company can request a review of the decision by the Negaunee Township Zoning Board of Appeals.