In back-home news, the Lake County Commission chose racehorse breeding over gravel mining last week as it denied a conditional-use permit to my friends Lee Yager and Donna Flying Horse:
Albert Lee Yager and his daughter, Donna Flying Horse, had asked to expand the parameters of their current gravel mining operation located east of the 457th Ave. intersection on the north side of SD-34 a mile and a half east of Madison. In 2016, they had been granted a conditional-use permit that included a 1,000-foot setback from their neighbor’s pasture line.
With the new application, they wanted to mine within 200-300 feet of the pasture line. Their neighbor, Janet Weber, who breeds and boards thoroughbred race horses, opposed the change.
…Weber submitted seven letters of support from veterinarians, horse owners, breeders and trainers which indicate thoroughbred race horses are sensitive, and encroachment by the gravel mining operation could cause a variety of problems. Noise from the equipment could prevent a mare from carrying a foal to term or hinder a horse’s recovery during a lay-up from racing, and the dust could affect the horses’ lungs.
…Commissioner Deb Reinicke recused herself from participating in the discussion and voting due to a conflict of interest. Other commissioners voted unanimously to deny the application [Mary Gales Askren, “County Blocks Efforts to Expand Gravel Mine,” Madison Daily Leader, 2019.05.22].
I’ve bought and used more gravel than horses. Beyond my anecdotal and idiosyncratic market choices, I’ve blogged plenty of news about horseracing seeking government subsidies (see also New Jersey!) or going out of business, but I don’t recall any wave of gravel pit closings. Gravel production and prices have risen steadily for the last five years.
Yet the Lake County Commission is willing to put the interests of a shrinking industry over the interests of a growing one. Imagine that: straight bottom-line capitalism doesn’t dictate every decision in Lake County.
I was a heavy equipment operator at a big aggregate pit in Watertown for two seasons. Very loud and dusty. Had to continually wear noise canceling ear protection and breathing protection when the wind was unfavorable. The neighbor has it correct and apparently showed scientific research to back it up. Gravel pits are similar to oil/gas drilling and fracking. They’re continually trying to invade space and property rights of others, all because it’s more profitable to expand laterally than to go to more secluded areas where they bother nobody.
I’m with Mr. Lansing on this, as much as I dislike useless race horsies and love, value, and use gravel.
I know Lein gravel/aggregate/dirt/sand/rock/whatever between Rapid City and Black Hawk is always getting hit up about dust control. They’re all but literally undermining Black Hawk Road too. They’re very creepy. (As in creeping out farther and farther.)
Porter, did you work at the big gravel pit we see coming into Watertown from the north on I-29?
Maybe. They have to move a lot because the rocks run out. I worked for Hallett but moved to WY and started as an oil patch roughneck in 1974.
Imagine stoopid freaking wingnuts giving protections to expensive horses and breeders not typically available to actual human peoples when it comes to stinking, water and air polluting disease factories known as large animal confinement operations.
Priorities.priorities.
There is a Hallett or two operation on the US HiWay 3 bypass North of Cherokee.