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Residents urge Genola council to press state and county on dust from Maverick gravel pit
Summary
Residents told the Genola Town Council the Maverick gravel pit’s dust is damaging crops, risking health and undermining food-safety audits; speakers urged the council to document complaints, invite state legislators and county commissioners, and pursue air monitors and media outreach.
Residents living near the Maverick gravel pit urged the Genola Town Council to take an active role in addressing persistent dust that they say is harming crops, threatening food safety and causing health problems.
Dale Steele, who identified himself to the council, brought stacks of studies and material-safety data sheets and described what he said were personal health impacts, including chest x-rays that showed "black spots" in his lungs. "This dust is dangerous," Steele said, and he blamed recent state action he identified as HB355 for limiting local authority to restrain pit operators. He asked the council to support residents’ efforts and to press the legislature for change.
Cheryl, a local farmer who spoke about food-safety audits and orchard damage, told the council that dust from nearby pits makes it impossible to pass third-party FSMA or USDA inspections in some cases. "You can't wash peaches," she said, describing fruit and tree damage she attributed to fine particulates and mites. Cheryl suggested operator-based mitigations such as water suppression on crushers and haul roads, berms or landscape screening, and better maintenance of unpaved access roads.
Council members and residents discussed a two-track response: (1) crowd-sourced documentation and formal complaints to the Division/Department of Air Quality (DAQ), and (2) inviting state legislators and county commissioners to a future council meeting so residents can present evidence directly. The council said it would include instructions for documenting dust and contacting DAQ in the town newsletter and explore media outreach if regulatory responses remain inadequate.
Councilmembers also discussed regional organizing, suggesting coordination with neighboring towns such as Santaquin and Spring Lake, and with agricultural groups and the Fruit Growers Association, to increase political leverage. Council staff mentioned a grant opportunity for an air-quality monitor that the town could host to provide real-time particulate readings for affected neighborhoods.
The council did not vote on a policy at the meeting but authorized staff follow-up: publishing complaint instructions in the newsletter, pursuing an air-monitor grant, and inviting elected county and state representatives to a future meeting as requested by residents. Residents left copies of technical materials with the council for review.
What happens next: Council members said they will publish guidance in the town newsletter on how residents can document dust incidents and will follow up on possible air-monitor grants and invitations to county and state officials.
