Vulcan settles the case
May 27, 2010 By: Pit & Quarry StaffI’m sure President Barack Obama is going be happy that Vulcan Materials just made his home state of Illinois a little bit richer. The company will pay the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) $40 million to settle a state lawsuit that has been going on for 12 years over a damaged portion of Joliet Road in suburban McCook, according to a story in the Chicago Sun-Times. IDOT alleged that Vulcan damaged a mile-long section of Joliet Road that bisects its massive McCook Quarry. That portion of Joliet was closed by IDOT in 1998 after IDOT experts concluded that the road was destabilized from years of mining and was no longer safe to use. Vulcan contended the cracks that caused Joliet Road to flex and buckle extend much deeper than the company mined. The company did not admit liability. In any case, IDOT will receive an initial $20 million, and will be paid the rest within nine months, according to a Vulcan statement. U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, D-Ill., told the paper the closure has been “an issue of concern” to people in the area and he’s happy a settlement had been reached. Vulcan is certainly not celebrating the $40 million payout, but the company does have cause for cheer. Its shipments climbed in March, compared to a year ago, marking the first monthly increase in several years, according to its first-quarter report. – Mark S. Kuhar
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