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Residents, Dominican Sisters ask county to investigate nearby gravel mine after water, dust and truck‑traffic complaints
Summary
Speakers at the meeting, including representatives of the Dominican Sisters and nearby school, described dust, truck traffic, unusual odors and water discoloration they attribute to operations at a nearby gravel mine and asked the county to use its authority to investigate public‑health and road‑safety impacts.
Several residents and faith‑community representatives appealed to the county Sept. 3 to intervene at a small, privately owned gravel quarry in Ann Arbor Township that neighbors say has changed practices since a corporate purchase and is causing water, dust and road‑safety problems.
Public testimony and main concerns Tom Moyer, identifying himself as representing the Dominican Sisters of Mary Mother of the Eucharist and Spirit of Sanctus Academy, described trucks operating outside permitted hours, dusty queuing that narrows Earhart Road during morning school drop‑off and an incident he said involved a truck striking a family en route to school. He also said the congregation has seen changes to water quality and wetland impacts that include discoloration in a retention pond, reduced amphibian activity and tiles lifting on buildings.
Other speakers from Ann Arbor Township described brown or discolored tap water, increased truck traffic and overweight double‑wagon trucks using local roads that are not rated for heavy loads. Several asked the county health department and road commission to test water and enforce vehicle weight and route restrictions, and to require the mine operator to stop practices they say are harming wetlands and the aquifer.
County response and next steps requested Speakers said they had met township officials and county staff, and they asked county agencies to test private well water, verify enforcement of allowable truck routes and weights, and apply any enforcement tools available under county road or health authority. County administration and the county health department were asked to follow up with testing and enforcement; county staff present acknowledged the concerns and said they would pursue available referrals and regulatory checks and work with the sheriff on road‑weight enforcement.
Ending Speakers asked for rapid action, citing safety risks for students and families at nearby schools. Commissioners asked administration to coordinate with the health department and sheriff’s office to determine the appropriate next steps.
