Don’t Leave It to Beaver welcomes HEC’s voice to community chorus
Submitted
Editor’s note: The Don’t Leave It To Beaver grassroots organization that has been advocating against the proposed gravel pit near Potter’s Bridge Park recently released the following statement to citizens of Noblesville and all of Hamilton County. The Reporter is printing the statement in its entirety. Please note that the following does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Hamilton County Reporter newspaper, its publisher or its staff.
According to the Hoosier Environmental Council’s Senior Policy Director, Tim Maloney, who spoke at the Noblesville Plan Commission meeting Monday night, the proposed Beaver Gravel Pit would have a substantial impact on the important floodplain of the White River, contributing to excess sediment in the White River and affecting downstream ecosystems.
“This ill-conceived project is being proposed not only in the floodplain of the White River but also within and nearby sensitive wetland and riparian areas, which provide critical habitat for birds, amphibians and aquatic life, and a buffer that protects the river from contaminated runoff and erosion,” Mr. Maloney said. “What’s more, relying on the state agencies – IDEM and DNR – to ensure that environmental impacts are effectively controlled ignores the fact that the agencies’ budgets are stretched thin, staff size is shrinking, and further cuts are expected due to the COVID pandemic.”
Don’t Leave It to Beaver is energized and encouraged that the state’s leading environmental educator and advocate – the Hoosier Environmental Council – shares our concern over protecting the White River watershed from the proposed Beaver Materials’ gravel and sand mine.
Contrary to what Plan Commission members David Burtner and N. Scott Smith alleged, the growing concern over allowing an extracting industry to operate a sand/gravel mine in this sensitive environmental area, has nothing to do with mere “NIMBY” or “not in my backyard” fears of area residents. Substantial research was presented to the Commissioners demonstrating the very real and serious threats to groundwater, wildlife habitat, and White River posed by this mine.
Nevertheless, Commissioners Burtner and Smith completely disregarded it.
At the meeting, the citizen group Don’t Leave It to Beaver explained that this is a Noblesville community issue because the implications of this proposed mine go far beyond any one neighborhood.
- A total of 80 percent of Noblesville’s water through Indiana American Water (IAW) is at stake. According to IAW’s Operations Manager Josh Cox, the unfiltered and potentially contaminated groundwater would require 24/7 monitoring and filtering, raising processing costs for IAW. Higher processing costs can mean higher costs for consumers.
- The lung health of Noblesville children in five nearby schools – elementary through high school – is at stake from carcinogenic silica dust that results from opening the earth and extracting aggregate materials. All park-goers would be exposed to the carcinogen when they visit Potter’s Bridge Park while extraction is taking place over the 10-year period.
- As expressed by the Plan Commission staff, the proposed gravel pit does not fit into Noblesville’s comprehensive plan because development on a floodplain is prohibited.
- Rather than merely a “not in my backyard” sentiment, the neighbors and other opponents of the Beaver gravel quarry are in fact defending the Comprehensive Plan which was adopted in the entire community’s interest, in contrast to the proposed rezoning which for 10 years would benefit only one company.
“The health of our family and the destruction of our environment” is at stake, said Chris Prange, who has lived on Allisonville Road near the proposed gravel pit for 45 years. “This is not the right place to do it.”
More than 50 protesters, including Prange, gathered outside City Hall before the Plan Commission meeting, which ran some 3 hours. The resulting vote – to forward Beaver’s petition to the Common Council with no recommendation – came after two 5 to 5 tie votes.
Concerned Noblesville citizens opposed to the proposed Beaver gravel pit are encouraged to take action in the following ways:
- Attend the Common Council meeting to voice their concern on the record.
- The meeting begins at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 8 at Noblesville City Hall, in the Council Chambers. Citizens are encouraged to follow all COVID guidelines and decorum practices set forth by the City.
- Attend a peaceful demonstration outside City Hall from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Dec. 8 outside City Hall. Demonstrators are encouraged to wear facial coverings, remain socially distant and allow pedestrians to pass unencumbered.
- Write their Common Council representative, including at-large members, to voice their opposition to the Beaver gravel pit and its impact on our community and environment. Find more information on who represents you at dontleaveittobeaver.com/take-action.
- Sign and share the online petition at Change.org/stopbeaver.
- Visit dontleaveittobeaver.com to find out more ways to take action or to read more out the issues at stake.