Hanson Material Service, an aggregate mining company operating stone quarries in the vicinity of Romeoville, Will County, Illinois, has applied to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for an incidental take permit to authorize take of threatened or endangered species that may result from their continued and expanded mining operations in Romeoville.
In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), a Draft Environmental Assessment was circulated for public comment on March 29, 2021. Concurrently, a Draft Habitat Conservation Plan was also published for public review and comment. The 30-day public review and comment period ended on April 28, 2021.
As a result of the public comment period, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service received requests for a public meeting.
An online public meeting will be held on September 1, 2021, from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM Central Time to review the Habitat Conservation Plan submitted by Hanson Material Service.
To receive instructions for joining the meeting, please register at:
https://empsi.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_d9KDG5ABRUq00mwHZROgdg
The public meeting will include a presentation on the proposed project followed by a question-and-answer session.
How You Can Help
C.A.R.E. wants to stop Hanson's quarry expansion in Romeoville from going forward. The quarry is surrounded by residential areas, poses a threat to the federally endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly and the State of Illinois endangered Blanding’s turtle and spotted turtle, and is in the vicinity of the Will County Generating Station's coal ash storage ponds that, if damaged, can contaminate our groundwater.
You can help by attending the September 1st online meeting to voice your opinion about the environmental, social, cultural, and economic effects that Hanson Material Service’s proposed actions may have on the places and resources you value.
To better understand this ongoing issue in Will County, view the Environmental Assessment prepared by U.S Fish and Wildlife and the Habitat Conservation Plan submitted by Hanson Material Service.
Thank you! C.A.R.E. will continue to fight for the environmental integrity of Will County on everyone’s behalf.
Recap
Under the federal Endangered Species Act, it is illegal to kill, harm or harass federally endangered or threatened species – even unintentionally – without a permit.
Habitat Conservation Plans are agreements between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and a landowner, private company, or non-federal agency, allowing them to undertake otherwise legally authorized activities on their property that may result in the extinction of a federally endangered or threatened species.
As required by the Endangered Species Act, Hanson Material Service’s Habitat Conservation Plan includes measures the facility would carry out to avoid and/or minimize the loss of certain species caused by their actions.
Some of these measures include limiting the extent of newly proposed mining, a groundwater monitoring program, and the restoration, management, and preservation of approximately 354 acres of habitat on other land parcels owned by Hanson that would be designed to protect these endangered/threatened species.
If approved, this permit would authorize the loss of 49.6 acres of adult Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly foraging and transit habitat. The permit would be valid for 30 years.
Thumbnail/banner image by Paul Sparks on Adobe Stock