PROPERTY VALUES- White Rock says they're a good fit for Vincent because of the revenue they'll bring to the area. What they neglect to tell citizens is that the loss in property values will more than cancel out any financial benefits White Rock could ever hope to generate. Economic studies on the effects of quarries on property values show without doubt that the location of a quarry in a given town causes severe damage to residential property values. If a quarry comes to Vincent, some homes will lose as much as 20% of their value, while many others will lose from 5%-10%. White Rock has tried to claim that a quarry won't harm property values, but their evidence is weak and vague. Moreover, it flies in face of common sense. Ask yourself: would you ever move next to a rock quarry? Of course not.
WATER DAMAGE - Our water supply that we depend on to provide clean, abundant drinking water for our people will be put at risk if this project is approved according to sources. Geological studies clearly show that limestone quarries like the one proposed by White Rock have a devastating effect on a community’s supply of drinking water. Drinking wells go dry, and water quality suffers. We are blessed with clean, abundant water, which we should not allow a quarry to threaten or destroy.
SINK HOLE DAMAGE - Projects such as the one proposed by White Rock Quarry have caused sinkholes in communities that have destroyed roads, bridges, homes, and businesses. This is a proven fact. As a quarry digs deeper and deeper into the ground, water from surrounding areas flows into their pit, resulting in underground cavities were water used to be. This, in turn, causes sinkholes that can be immensely destructive. Vincent is in a prime area for sinkhole occurrence, already. Because of the underground water flow around Vincent, sink holes will be an even greater problem if a quarry comes in.
ROAD DAMAGE - White Rock Quarry will further damage our roads and bridges. Large trucks will fill our streets and roads creating potholes and other damage that will be costly for Vincent to repair. In an effort to buy support, White Rock Quarry is offering a payment of $500,000 (which, by the way, would go to Shelby County, not to Vincent specifically) to repair roads. But experts say that the Vincent area should expect millions of dollars of damage to the road system that local governments and citizens will have to pay to get repaired.
AIR POLLUTION - Air and noise pollution will follow if the White Rock Quarry is approved. Severe dust will create air pollution that is especially damaging to the health of our young people, seniors and those with breathing issues. What's more, the noise from quarry blasting will destroy the tranquility and serenity that we are blessed with and will also case structural damage to buildings near the quarry's property.
To learn more, check out these links to studies and articles.
wwwrcamnl.wr.usgs.gov/rgws/Unesco/PDF-Chapters/Chapter9-11.pdf
main.uab.edu/show.asp
www.sptimes.com/News/072001/TampaBay/Sinkholes_thwart_home.shtml
www.nwaonline.net/articles/2009/08/05/news/080609fzwashcoeq.txt
www.cig.ensmp.fr/~iahs/redbooks/a207/iahs_207_0003.pdf