Gravel mine proposal bumped off McHenry Council until August, hydrology study review proposed

A proposal from Jack Pease and Super Aggregates for a gravel mine on 110 acres at Routes 120 and Chapel Hill Road has been pushed to at least the August 7 McHenry City Council meeting.

Instead, the council on Monday will consider hiring a consultant to review a hydrogeological study of that proposed mine.

If approved by the council, the city would retain Chicago-based Stanley Consultants to review documentation prepared by Super Aggregates “for the purpose of identifying and addressing environmental concerns associated with the gravel mining proposal,” according to the proposed agreement.

Based on dozens of conversations with McHenry County staff and board members we see this property being a pit. So the question is who’s going to control it?

—  McHenry Mayor Wayne Jett

A representative from Stanley also would attend future meetings and present information to the public as requested by the city and provide advice regarding responses to regulatory agencies, according to the agreement.

Bringing in a third party to review Pease’s proposal is “due to the concerns of the residents from their water, wells and the surrounding water tables,” said Ross Polerecky, McHenry community development director.

Stanley Consultants has no affiliations with Super Aggregates and would review the information provided by the company regarding the area hydrogeological conditions for “errors, omissions or anything else” that may be of concern, Polerecky said. “They will give us their professional opinion of the study and let us know if it is accurate.”

City staff also still is working on answers to resident questions submitted online last week. Polerecky hopes to have the full response to those questions posted to cityofmchenry.org on the week of July 16.

McHenry Mayor Wayne Jett wrote in a text that the questions asked by residents are now in the hands of professionals “who can give the best answers for those asking them.”

Jett also defended McHenry’s ability to protect residents by controlling the proposed mining site, rather than giving the county control.

“Based on dozens of conversations with McHenry County staff and board members we see this property being a pit. So the question is who’s going to control it? The city of McHenry has many more restrictions in place than McHenry County and we have more resources to protect the surrounding residents,” according to Jett.

According to documentation Jett provided, McHenry would limit hours of operation from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. year round, would not allow for “emergency operations” of the mine, and require higher berms and wider setbacks than either McHenry County or the village of Lakemoor.

He does have concerns, including surrounding wells being on the same aquifer as the proposed mine, Jett wrote.

“I don’t want to put my name or anyone on Council on something that could hurt so many residents. So that’s why Staff and I had directed Pease to get a Hydro Study. This will show many things that will protect all surrounding homeowners. Not one pit in the surrounding area has done this study and I think this will relieve many worries surrounding contamination or drying of wells. All the other concerns are legitimate but can be resolved by putting restrictions in place,” Jett wrote.