To the Editor:
As of May 15th, the permit for the gravel pit [along the Three-Mile River located at 308-1 Mile Creek Rd. in Old Lyme] has expired but the disregard and disrespect for the Town’s regulations and Commissions is ongoing as the work has not stopped, and additional equipment is being brought in.
The machine delivered Saturday [May 18] is a large-scale, multiple-gradient screening plant. They are typically placed below a larger rock-crusher in order to separate material into different sizes after the larger boulders are broken up. Please note that there is no dust-prevention evident on this particular machine. This is not a small “Mom and Pop operation” machine, this machine can process approximately 600 tons of material an hour, that’s about 27 +/- dump trucks an hour.
The lack of dust control will affect everyone’s health and air quality, along with the water quality of the Three Mile River. The vibration will adversely affect wildlife—that is, any and all of the sub-surface forms of life within hundreds of feet of this machine. The noise will certainly be much louder than the jack-hammer they have been using and vastly louder than that of a pickleball court, like the one on McCurdy Rd. that was denied due to noise concerns.
There is no shortage of information available regarding the detrimental effects that a gravel pit produces, the following link is just one of many: https://www.fractracker.org/a5ej20sjfwe/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/silca-dust-facts.pdf
In addition to the public health, another concern is property value. This is not surprising with re-evaluation underway, I did only a bit of research and found that living near a gravel pit indeed adversely affects home prices. Estimates vary depending on distance, but it seems the average loss in value of homes within one mile is between 15% and 20%, with some outlets claiming 30% losses. It seems only fair that we all see that reduction reflected in our tax bill, and that any tax revenue lost be assessed to the gravel pits since they are the reason for the decline in home values.
Please consider contacting our Town Officials and attending meetings when possible. A Public Hearing will be scheduled regarding this matter soon—it may be the only chance that some will get to have their voices heard.
Sincerely,
Peter Caron,
Old Lyme.