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LANSING Gravel miners and other business groups are launching a new push to make it easier to open sand and gravel mines in residential areas, and this time they have new bills and a new primary sponsor Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich.
A Senate committee on Thursday is to take up consideration of a package of bills that would move approval of gravel mining permits away from local governments to the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE).
Critics say that like earlier bills that have failed to become law, it would override local control and result in the dust and noise of gravel operations coming to many Michigan residential neighborhoods.