Controversial Joliet quarry vote tabled again

A controversial vote on a Joliet quarry that was tabled until after the April 4 election was tabled again on Tuesday.

Opponents of the proposal to allow blasting at the quarry questioned why the City Council vote would be tabled again.

But a lawyer for the project said the quarry owner asked that a vote be tabled to give the city time to review a recently completed report on the proposed blasting.

The VM Land quarry is located in the vicinity of Richards Street and Sandall Place on the East Side of Joliet. VM Land is seeking an amendment to an original annexation agreement for the quarry to allow blasting. The quarry operation now uses hydraulic rock crushing.

“This is going to be tabled for a fourth time,” Marge Cepon, a Joliet resident opposed to the blasting amendment told the council at a workshop session on Monday.

Cepon said residents would like to see copies of the reports and not have to wait until the agenda comes out before the June 6 meeting, when the council again will consider a vote.

“We don’t want to wait until three days before the June 6 meeting to try to scramble and understand the reports,” Cepon said.

Both VM Land and the city are getting independent reports to evaluate blasting on the site, according to a staff report to the council.

Attorney Nathaniel Washburn, who represents VM Land, said the company is paying for the report done for the city.