Living in a ‘dust bowl’
Wolf Creek resident complains about dust problem, wants a solution
By JAMES C. FALCON
editors@bhgnews.com
A combination of high speeds and a lot of dust are causing problems in the Wolf Creek subdivision west of Coleharbor.
Craig Argabright of Minot has owned a lot in the subdivision since 2015. When he was initially looking at the property, he had a concern about the dusty roads, Argabright explained to the McLean County Board of Commissioners at their meeting Tuesday morning.
At the time, the county applied dust suppressant and for the first few years, the roads were pretty good, Argabright said.
However, in the last year, dust suppressant was not put down. Now, when traffic would speed through the subdivision, it would kick up dust.
“Last year, a couple of times, I videoed the traffic coming in – and the dust clouds.”
With a high volume of traffic speeding, the dust has become more and more of a problem. Argabright has taken matters into his own hands. He made his own signs asking people slow down, “but it appears to be in vain,” he said. “Some people get it, but a lot of people go by 40 miles per hour right in the subdivision, which should be no more than 25.”
Argabright also began to put water on the road himself. However, he was visited by a deputy sheriff, who informed him to stop after complaints were made about him watering the road.
McLean County Board of Commission president Barry Suydam said a group from Wolf Creek had asked that the application of dust suppressant stop. Magnesium chloride was used as a suppressant, although this had corrosive effects on vehicles, Commissioner Steven Lee added.
