|
This
Web Page was originally set up prior to the ZBA meeting of 2007 and the
original Rockford City Council votes in 2008 to provide concerned citizens
information and other avenues to oppose this project that would create significant
health hazards and endanger their safety. ALL
OF THE FOLLOWING BETWEEN THE DOTTED LINES WAS PUT ON THE WEBSITE WHEN IT WAS
FIRST SET UP PRIOR TO THE ZBA AND CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS BACK IN 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOW THE ASPHALT PLANT WILL AFFECT YOU AND YOUR HOME’S VALUE
NOISE:
• Asphalt production is noisy.
• The noise and truck traffic could begin at 3:00 AM.
• Blasting will be much more frequent.
• Asphalt production can run twenty-four hours a day.
ODOR:
• According to an industry source “you may be able to smell this plant for a
mile”.
• Stagnant, humid air filled with noxious odors.
• According to the EPA, asphalt processing is a major source of pollutants
that are known respiratory irritants and can trigger or worsen asthma
attacks, cause shortness of breath, headaches, nausea, and dizziness.
• Some are known to cause cancer.
DUST TRAFFIC AND TRUCK POLLUTION:
• Trucks and heavy equipment will create massive amounts of dust that will
be carried by wind to surrounding neighborhoods.
• The proposed plant could generate up to ninety truckloads per day, in and
out will be 180 truck passes per day and possibly more.
• Diesel truck emissions are at the top of the Illinois list of “Chemicals
Contributing to Estimated Cancer Risk”.
• According to The American Lung Association, diesel exhaust has been linked
to increased hospital admissions for people with respiratory and heart
diseases and up to 60,000 premature deaths annually.
HOME VALUES:
• Two studies by the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League showed declines
in property values of almost 56% near asphalt plants.
• The study also documents property value losses as far away as 3,200 feet
from the plant.
THINK ABOUT IT:
Would you buy a home in close proximity to an Asphalt Plant?
What would happen if your neighborhood property values plunged?
If your home value is part of your retirement or elder care strategy, how
will a large loss in home value impact the rest of your life?
Think about the senior citizens around you. What options would they have?
How will the asphalt plant fumes and exhaust from 180 trucks or more a day
affect your lifestyle and health?
New Community Flier
BE INFORMED: GET INVOLVED NOW!
THINGS TO DO TO FIGHT THE ASPHALT PLANT:
1. First, log onto
www.rockfordlink.com and register for the BLOGS/FORUMS.
2. Call/email ALL the 14 ALDERMEN and MAYOR and let people know this
isn't over. This is now in the city council's hands. Remember, this is
politics and politicians want to get re-elected so you need to put it in
those terms. If HUNDREDS of phone calls come in from people along with
HUNDREDS of letters, that sends a strong message.
3. DAN CONNESS is the alderman whose ward the proposed asphalt plant
falls in. Contact him, but don't stop there. The Mayor breaks a tie so
you need his vote as well. If the politicians don't hear from you, they
won't take it as seriously as they would with the calls and letters. If
someone says they are already decided, don't spend a lot of time with
them. It's the "I haven't made up my mind" folks who we can influence.
4. Get the MEDIA involved. They love these kinds of stories and
enlisting them will not hurt the cause. They are a very glaring light
that politicians don't like shined on them.
Write or Donate to: NETS, P.O. Box 5124, Rockford, IL 61125
BE HEARD:
• Call or send a personal letter or e-mail to the Mayor, the Zoning Board
Members and every alderman in Rockford expressing your feelings about having
this asphalt plant in your neighborhood.
• Call or write County Board Representatives John Ekberg at 815-395-1955 and
Bob Kinnison at 815-395-1654.
• Voice your opposition on local radio and in the Register Star and Rock
River Times. They want to hear from you. Even if
you’ve written, phoned or e-mailed, YOUR presence in City Hall carries great
power. Fill the building.
You are entitled to be heard. Speak about the topics at the top of the
page or of your own personal feelings. You are a tax paying, law-abiding
citizen, not just a roof in an aerial photograph. Make sure the Zoning Board
of Appeals understands that.
There are a lot of people working very hard and spending their money to
stop this asphalt plant. They’re not waiting to read about the outcome in
the news. Become involved!!
Stop The Asphalt Plant Action Steps:
LETTER WRITING: Write to the Rockford City Council, County Board Members and
Zoning Board Members. Complete address information is available on the NETS
web site: www.stopasphalt.org. Take a few moments and in your own words
express how you feel, what concerns you have about your health, property
values, threatened lifestyle, and the right to enjoy your property. Be
respectful and responsible.
CIRCULATE PETITIONS: Download a petition form from the NETS website
Petition Form and the instructions on how to properly complete the
petition form and where to turn it in.
DONATE: Everyone who will be impacted by the proposed Asphalt Plant can
donate their time and/or money to NETS. Obviously, money is always needed to
help with expenses and operating costs. Getting the “word” out, making signs
and various other costs add up fast!
VOLUNTEER: You can volunteer to help out at NETS. Every volunteer is needed.
Call NETS at 815–713-4748, or
contact NETS online at www.stopasphalt.org/contact_us.html
Rockford Blacktop has asked for an I-2 Zoning Variance to create an asphalt
batch plant at the Mulford Quarry. WHATS NEXT? The Rockford City Council will convene on at City Hall. Monday,
January 28, 2008 at 6 pm
NETS are organizing our neighborhoods to oppose the granting of a zoning
variance by the zoning board of appeals. We will present an organized and
disciplined face to the zoning board of appeals. Our facts and figures on
this subject will be presented at every meeting of officials in Rockford. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ALL OF THE ABOVE
BETWEEN THE DOTTED LINES WAS PUT ON THE WEBSITE WHEN IT WAS FIRST SET UP
PRIOR TO THE ZBA AND CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS
|
