Sen. Theis and Rep. Lasinski Speak to Resurgence of Gravel Mining Concerns

By Doug Marrin

If passed, Senate Bill 431 would remove local control of mining operations. For many residents, the bill echoes an effort in 2014 by McCoig Materials to begin mining in Lyndon Township. A strong public protest defeated the mine.

The Chelsea Community Forum addressed growing concern by inviting State Senator Lana Theis and State Representative Donna Lasinki to speak on the issue at its Dec. 12, 2020, meeting via Zoom.

Michigan State Senator Lana Theis represents Michigan’s 22nd
District, which includes the western 2/3rds of Washtenaw County and parts of Livingston and Ingham. Senator Theis had first-hand experience with gravel mining back when she was Brighton Township Treasurer.

“We had quite a few gravel pits in our township, and most of them were very, very good actors,” she told the Forum. “One was a very, very bad actor that had been a long time bad actor.”

Regarding Bill 431, Senator Theis explained that the more she began digging into it, her concerns with the bill quickly mounted. Many of her issues revolved around the bill's vague and undefined language, which would favor mining operations.

“In the world of legislation, if you want to change legislation, you have to come up with two or three things that you can reasonably expect them to change,” Theis explained. “After they change it, you are expected to be a ‘yes’ on the bill after that.”

The Republican Senator went back to the Republican sponsors of the bill and explained that they would have to transform the bill fundamentally, or she would be voting “Heck No” on it. Theis will not support the bill as written.

Michigan State Representative Donna Lasinski represents the State’s 52nd District of Washtenaw County’s western and northern townships.

“Senate Bill 431 is a bill that’s been around in some form or another and has been in constant arguments for about a decade,” Rep Lasinski told the Forum.

Lasinski gave a brief overview of government, explaining that the state government determines broad principles and statewide issues. However, local zoning ordinances deal directly with the quality of life for a community—what residents would like to have placed near and around them.

“From that aspect, this bill does not pass muster with me,” said Lasinski. “It is also a pretty extreme form of removing local control.”

While not targeting Washtenaw County specifically, Bill 431, introduced by Sen. Adam Hollier (D-Detroit), standardizes how gravel pits are approved in Michigan. It would overturn the authority local governments have to regulate them. Amid heated debate at times, lawmakers statewide have wrestled with the prospect of eliminating local control in favor of standard zoning for mines and economical materials to repave roads.

Both Theis and Lasinski agree that Michigan’s natural resources need to be utilized. For example, new roads need a lot of gravel. The Republican Senator and Democratic Representative also agree that resources have to be used responsibly.

“We can’t just say no to everything, but there have to be guidelines,” said Lasinski. “We are willing in Washtenaw County to work with good operators from pipelines to gravel mines to others to make sure that we’re participating in the State of Michigan’s economy. We recognize that aggregate is needed to keep our economy moving and to build roads.”

“But what we’re also very smart about, and what we elect our local officials to do is to make sure that all of those operations are done within the bounds of our community standards and continue to preserve that the beauty and the natural way of life that we have here,” she added. “And so with that, I stand with Senator Theis as a ‘No’ on this bill.”

The big concern looming over Forum attendees was the direction this bill might be headed. Would it be passed and remove local rights to the control and regulation of mining? Or, would it be defeated? How much do we have to worry about this?

Both Sen Theis and Rep Lasinski agree that Bill 431 is dead for 2020. Both also agree there is always a caution in that and what Sen Theis calls “Zombills”—bills that are dead, but they keep walking somehow. In other words, in the world of legislation, there are no guarantees.

Theis and Lasinski expect to see a new bill written, possibly in 2021, and the process begins all over once again.

For those interested, Rep Lasinski suggested visiting www.legislature.mi.gov, where bills can be searched for and followed by topics such as “mining.”