Local Communities Urged to Contact Legislators to Oppose House Bills 6108-6111.
CONTACT: Kevon Martis 517.403.2428 ourhomeourvoiceinc@gmail.com
DEERFIELD, Mich. – The Michigan Legislature continues to usurp local control in their newly introduced legislation, House Bills 6108-6111, which would remove local jurisdiction over the mining of sand and gravel operations.
The bill package includes provisions that would override local ordinances, impose state-level regulations, and shift decision-making power away from locally elected officials to Lansing. House Bill 6108, completely pre-empts local involvement unless a proposed extraction operation would result in a public or private nuisance. But even if the Department finds that a nuisance will occur, the mining operator may still have the right to mine, regardless of objections local officials and neighboring property owners may present.
The bill would also allow for mining operations to take place in communities where a risk of groundwater contamination may be present, posing further risks to the environment. This positions Michigan as a state that fails to prioritize the preservation of its natural resources and the protection of its residents. In addition, the bill would result in constant heavy truck traffic and dust to both residential and commercial residents.
This legislation also poses an unreasonable nuisance noise risk. This legislation permits up to 75-decibels of unwanted noise exposure to residential neighbors and an 85-decibel impact to nearby commercial properties. This is far above the 45 decibels recommended by the World Health Organization to protect human health.[1]
“This is yet another power grab from the MI Legislature, and it opens the door to the stripping away all local control of similar industrial operations. Legislators are ignoring their constituents and disrespecting local government officials,” said Kevon Martis, spokesman for Our Home, Our Voice. “This legislation ties the hands of local officials who are best positioned to care for their own unique communities. And with unreasonable proximity to these extraction activities, neighboring residents risk property value loss and exposure to noise pollution well above established community noise standards. We encourage people to not stand idly by as the legislature again seeks to smother local voices on behalf of irresponsible industry. We strongly encourage community members to reach out to your state Representative and state Senator, asking them to stop this irresponsible Legislation.”
Martis continued, “I have been making this point for years: local communities know what is best for them. Local officials are the best equipped to understand and protect their precious piece of Pure Michigan from irresponsible industrial development. Legislators in Lansing should not have the authority to force an irresponsibly designed sand and gravel mining facility into anyone’s backyard.”
Our Home, Our Voice Inc., remains committed to ensuring that decisions impacting communities are made by the people who best understand their unique needs and challenges. They ask and encourage local governments and community members across the state to contact their Legislators urging them to drop this bill package and vote no.
Our Home, Our Voice Inc., is a grassroots coalition of county and township officials as well as community organizers throughout Michigan who advocate maintaining local control of land use by promoting reasonable regulation in their widely diverse communities. The organization believes an important tool for protecting their home from special interests is the continued ability to enact and maintain local land use regulations. The coalition has active supporters in 45 counties across the state.
[1] https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/a68672
