R.R.A.D Richfield Residents Against Dump

7/5/2015

During the past 6-9 months the residents who live near an old gravel pit on Scenic Road have become fearful of what Danah Zoulek and her company could do to their peaceful neighborhood.

While Danah says she does not want to go to court or harm the environment her attitude to local residents has many residents worried especially now that she has asked for a restraining order. Therefore they are hiring an attorney to represent their community concerns.

If you share their concerns, please donate funds to support the attorney who is representing them. Use this email address to communicate with R. R. A. D.
thescenic.group@yahoo.com (there is a period between scenic and group)

See attached document and check this web site for more information on how you can help keep that neighborhood quiet and peaceful.

20 Comments

Chuck

7/5/2015 02:57:22 pm

It is absolutely imperative that ALL residents of Richfield do their research about abandoned mine reclamation. Also, please read about the B.R.A.D. group and the differences between the Sileno Quarry in Brookfield and the Scenic Pit.

Regal, the leader of B.R.A.D. spent over $100,000 in legal fees to Attorney Marcuvitz to help with the PR to paint the clean fill site as bad for the environment and create public opposition. Regal, the leader of BRAD ultimately purchased the quarry to develop apartments.

Reclamation is positive, it is the opinion of the state that reclamation is good for the environment. In fact, reclamation is now required by law for all mines in operation after 2001.

This is more about politics and less about scientific facts. Regal (B.R.A.D.) was successful only in that the goal of chasing the original developer away worked. However, the site is still unstable.

DeRosso vs the City of Oak Creek is the law.

Please take the time to read the DeRosso Case, to read about Non-Metallic Mine Reclamation, and to research the effects of leaving mines abandoned.

Shelly

7/5/2015 10:22:09 pm

Scenic Pit is a restored sand and gravel pit. It's not a mine.
The DeRosso case is about a borrow pit they created when the DNR ordered them to cap their landfill with clay. The original landfill went through all the local and DNR permitting, approvals, and scrutiny that were required by law.

Chuck

7/5/2015 11:41:59 pm

The Scenic Pit was created because the gravel company was given a conditional use permit, the conditions of that CUP were violated. DeRosso received local permits to borrow clay, the scenic pit received local permits to borrow gravel. Both are excavations created with permission and both sites wanted to use clean fill for restoration.

Please research about the myths about abandoned mines "reclaiming themselves". It simply doesn't happen. Also, read about the effects of abandoned mines on the environment.

Clarence

7/6/2015 04:31:38 am

You should see this video of the June 18, 2015 Richfield Village Board Meeting that I just found on YouTube at the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzQNuJG56D0

It's a real eye-opener! The person who spoke after Danah Zoulek held up documents and photos showing that Richfield Village President John Jeffords is operating THE EXACT SAME TYPE OF CLEAN FILL FACILITY right next to his home while, at the same time, opposing Danah Zoulek from filling the Scenic Pit.

Why does the village president get special treatment here? He can do it but nobody else can? That's NOT right!

The law should be applied equally and fairly to everyone. If President Jeffords is allowed to fill a pit, then why can't Danah Zoulek do the same thing?

Something definitely is NOT RIGHT here!

marie

7/7/2015 02:18:22 am

IT IS NOT an abandoned Mine.. Lets get that straight!
The prior owners did NOT abandon it. You can ask them

Chuck

7/7/2015 04:58:14 am

Who are the "prior owners"? I thought the same family owned it for years, before it was a gravel pit?

marie

7/8/2015 12:06:12 pm

I don't mean the prior owner of the land, the owner of the gravel pit

Casey

7/6/2015 05:38:33 am

Seriously? Well, I'm sure it's a small site and won't take as much fill to grade, but if the Village said even 1 load can contaminate the groundwater and the risk is too high than why is he accepting fill? He must know clean fill is safe.

Richfield and their crazy politics! I never followed politics much here but I'm beginning to see why Richfield has a reputation.

marie

7/7/2015 02:24:39 am

casey- you don't live in Richfield do you? You want the dump next to YOU

Casey

7/7/2015 05:37:21 am

I do live in Richfield. I'm pretty close to the pit by the Pig but the truck traffic doesn't bother us much. Most of the traffic is during work hours anyway. That pit is near houses and businesses but no one tried shutting them down. Not that I've heard of anyway.

I knew about the pit by the Pig when I bought my house, it's not my property and it's a clean fill site to reclaim the quarry there right? If people live by a pit that needs to be filled than so be it. It was a pit before most of the people moved there, they should have known that the pit would be purchased and redeveloped at some point. It can't be a pit forever.

There are tons of subdivisions in Richfield, I bet you live in a subdivision and at some point I'm sure people in Richfield opposed your neighborhood. If you don't live in a subdivision than you probably still know that there are residents who both oppose and support many of the subdivisions being built.

Point being, it's private property and not public. Until something actually "dangerous" is happening it's really no one else's business what they do as long as the DNR approves it. Looks to me like it was a mess that was never fixed when it should have been. I would point the finger at the Vilkage before pointing the finger at the people who want to develop it.

What do the neighbors want the pit to be? No matter what it becomes it will need to be fixed so it can be developed.

8/31/2015 11:29:11 am

They are talking about 100 to 200 dump trucks a day for 10 to 12 years. Destroying our roads, polluting our air, endangering our kids on the winding roads, damaging our vehicles, and possibly contaminated our water supply. I don't consider that small.

Jen

7/6/2015 08:46:13 am

People in Richfield, or maybe just those by the pit, need to accept the fact that development of the pit is inevitable. If the local government wanted it to stay a hole in the ground why didn't they just buy it? It's private property right? I thought it was common knowledge that these old quarries needed to be filled in. Isn't Timberstone a development where an old quarry was restored? Where are the experts on the environment? If there are state laws that force quarries to be reclaimed then I would think reclaiming it would be positive!
It's the no changes attitude that has Richfield starting to look like a dump like our downtown area. It's embarrassing really. Clean this Village up! Fill the old quarries, fix the roads, get rid of the small town politics!

Shelly

7/6/2015 09:25:56 am

"Why can’t the Village just buy the property and leave it as is?
The owner has not offered to sell the property to the Village."

Jen

7/6/2015 10:32:06 am

I drive by that property all of the time and it's been for sale forever. I'm glad there are people standing up and doing the right thing. I looked up reclamation and it's definitely a good thing. Two wrongs don't make a right. This pit should have been fixed a long time ago.........

Shelly

7/6/2015 12:15:55 pm

Instead of creating a new landfill maybe the right thing to do would be to cleanup the Schmidt hole on 175, or Meeker Hill, or any of the other supposed clean fill sites that are now contaminated.

marie

7/8/2015 02:20:19 am

most of these comments are coming from supporters. However, they probably are relatives or close to the Zouleks. Again, this is NOT an abandoned mine. It has not been used for years to take out stone. So people do your homework and look at who was using it as a gravel pit and how they really Left it. Those who live near a dumping area, please note that they are not dumping ASPHALT.

Scenic Pit

7/8/2015 11:20:58 pm

Marie, why do you keep mentioning asphalt? I've heard you mention it several times. Asphalt is not on the list of exempt materials, we're not accepting asphalt.

I also read the website created by this group and it looks as though their concerns are in good spirit but the facts just don't add up. The article about lead paint used on roads before 1991 is concerning, I'll admit, but then under "What is Clean Fill" you'll see that concrete not painted with lead is exempt.

As always, I'm happy to answer any and all questions.

I've known about the Brookfield situation for quite some time. The quarry in Brookfield was going to purchased by the City for a park, our site is private property........

We appreciate everyone's concerns and can assure we have a plan that is positive, we believe in it, and we have the support of the top experts in the field of quarry reclamation.

Hypothetical question to you Marie? If you learn that the Scenic Pit is, in fact, abandoned and in desperate need of stabilization and reclamation will you change your opinion?

Also, click this link to hear how Village Board members refer to our group of supporters.

https://youtu.be/X5nTRXwnr3s

Kristine Jacklin

7/8/2015 11:06:37 am

Wow, a private owner with private property who wants to beautify the land with CLEAN Fill?? More POWER to them!!! Next lets start with clean fill in the old downtown area that looks like a GETTO - hope Zouleks has some left for that ugly area of Richfield....how embarrassing, when we have visitors from out of town come through they comment how it looks like a dump. Clean this Village up! Fill the old quarries, fix the roads, get rid of the small town politics! Ha GREAT Quote from someone above ... AND yes I live in Richfield!

Cindy

7/12/2015 01:38:21 am

For you R.R.A.D. members - this was my response to the video posted on your website regarding the drone video posted on YouTube. Steven Mahler: Actually, your video clearly reveals the fact that the pit needs restoration. I lived in AZ for 20+ years --- The bottom of the pit looks like the high desert. Jim Healy, the administrator for the Village of Richfield stated at a village meeting that there was "six inches of top soil" to be placed in the bottom of the pit for restoration. Mmmmm, looks like erosion occurred (if the top soil was ever put in the pit). The loose wall of gravel has been there since the mining company that leased the property ceased operations. Brian Farrow's comment "It looks like they are doing more than widening a driveway" - he probably thinks that The Scenic Pit, LLC has started mining extractions because of the aerial view that you so kindly posted showing the "loose gravel wall" - the stock pile of rocks - and the bottom of the pit with its scrub vegetation -- gives the appearance that extraction is still taking place. I would say this confirms restoration is needed. (Also, your video shows a nice "buffer" between the subdivision and the pit.) Life goes on!

Robert Parker

7/21/2015 09:45:25 am

The following links contain the rules and regulations about U.A.S.
( A.K.A. DRONES )
http://www.faa.gov/uas/
https://www.faa.gov/uas/faq/

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R.R.A.D Richfield Residents Against Dump

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