Solberg Lake Asphalt Plant: Price County Orders Public Healt

Last updated: August 2026

By Price County Fun Editorial Team | Price County, Wisconsin

By the pricecounty.fun newsroom. Last updated: August 11, 2026.

American Asphalt pulled its permit application back in June. But the fight over the gravel pit near East Solberg Lake Road is nowhere near over — and the county is quietly gearing up for round two.

Supervisor Robert Copich said it flatly at the July 8 Health & Human Services Board meeting. He told Public Health Officer Tiffany Pollitchek to start researching the health impacts of asphalt plants now, because American Asphalt is expected to reapply for a conditional use permit in roughly a year. “They withdrew their application, but it’s going to come back,” Copich told the board. “So I just want to ask that if you are able to come up with anything, that would be pertinent to what we’re doing here.”

Quick Answer: Price County’s Health & Human Services Board voted July 8 to have Public Health Officer Tiffany Pollitchek research the health impacts of asphalt plants in anticipation of American Asphalt reapplying for its Solberg Lake conditional use permit within about a year. The company withdrew its application in June after a contentious Land Use Committee meeting, but the underlying gravel pit CUP and reclamation plan remain active. Supervisor Robert Copich, who raised the issue, said the application “is going to come back.”

Why the county is researching health impacts now

The move is preemptive. It’s not a vote on the permit, and it doesn’t override the existing conditional use approval.

But it does something important: it gives the county a health-based rationale it can lean on the next time American Asphalt knocks on the door. Pollitchek confirmed she would take on the research.

Here’s the thing nobody’s saying out loud. Wisconsin’s Act 67 limits how much local governments can actually say no to these permits. The county can’t just reject a gravel pit or asphalt plant because neighbors don’t like it. It needs a defensible, documented reason.

What the research can and can’t do

The July 8 directive can’t reverse the existing CUP. That ship has sailed.

What it can do is build a public record. If the county can show measurable health, air-quality, or noise impacts tied to an asphalt plant sitting near Solberg Lake homes, that gives the Land Use Committee real material for stricter conditions — or a stronger case for denial when the new application lands.

The distinction between the two gravel pit fights

Keep these separate, because the county does.

There’s the Worcester pit — the one where buried demolition waste showed up and the DNR confirmed it. That one’s effectively resolved. American Asphalt withdrew that application.

And there’s the Solberg Lake pit, the one neighbors packed the boardroom over. That’s the live one, and it’s the one this public health research is aimed at.

Worcester: the buried-landfill story

At the June 9 Land Use Committee meeting, the Worcester gravel pit proposal ran straight into a buried landfill. The DNR confirmed demolition waste on the site. American Asphalt withdrew.

Solberg Lake: the ongoing fight

The Solberg Lake proposal drew more than 20 speakers in opposition back on May 21. The committee postponed it. The gravel pit CUP and its reclamation plan remain active even after the asphalt company’s withdrawal.

How we got here: a timeline of the Solberg Lake fight

This didn’t happen overnight. It’s been building for months.

May 21 — the room fills up

Twenty-plus speakers opposed the proposed gravel pit near Solberg Lake at the Land Use & UW-Extension Committee. The committee postponed a decision.

June 9 — the Worcester twist

The Worcester pit hit buried landfill, DNR confirmed demolition waste, and American Asphalt withdrew — but that was the separate site. The Solberg Lake application stayed alive.

June 16 — the county board weighs in

American Asphalt withdrew its conditional use permit after the contentious Land Use meeting. The gravel pit CUP and reclamation plan remained active, per board discussion.

July 8 — the health research directive

Supervisor Copich asked Pollitchek to research asphalt plant health impacts in anticipation of the reapplication, roughly one year out.

What actually gets studied — and what it could mean

Public health research into asphalt plants isn’t academic navel-gazing. It has real teeth.

Asphalt plants emit a mix of particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, and in some cases the carcinogen benzene. Whether the plant’s neighbors feel those impacts depends on distance, wind, and the plant’s controls.

What the county could build a case around

Particulate emissions that can aggravate asthma and respiratory illness
Volatile organic compounds and odor — a persistent complaint near hot-mix plants
Noise and truck traffic tied to the plant’s operation
Distance from residential properties around Solberg Lake

None of that is a done deal. The research could also come back clean. That’s the point — the county wants to know, on the record, before the company forces the question.

Why the county can’t just say no

This is the crux, and it’s why the county is doing homework instead of drawing a line in the sand.

Under Wisconsin’s Act 67, a conditional use permit is a use-by-right if the applicant meets the ordinance conditions. Local boards don’t get to reject a CUP just because residents object. The county has to find a documented, legally defensible basis.

So the health research isn’t busywork. It’s the county building the ammunition it’s allowed to use.

What happens next

The ball is in Public Health’s court. Pollitchek is expected to report back on the health research, and the Land Use Committee will eventually have to handle the reapplication when it comes.

Watch the Land Use & UW-Extension Committee agenda. That’s where the next move shows up.

For now, the county has bought itself roughly a year — and a head start on the evidence.

Frequently asked questions

Did American Asphalt’s permit get revoked?

No. The company withdrew its application in June after a contentious Land Use meeting. The underlying gravel pit conditional use permit and reclamation plan remain active, per county board discussion.

Can Price County reject the asphalt plant?

Not without a documented, defensible reason. Wisconsin’s Act 67 treats conditional use permits as use-by-right when the applicant meets ordinance conditions. That’s why the county is researching health impacts now — to build its case before the reapplication.

When will American Asphalt reapply?

Supervisor Robert Copich told the Health & Human Services Board it’s expected in roughly a year, saying the application “is going to come back,” according to the meeting discussion.

Is this the same fight as the Worcester gravel pit?

No. They’re separate sites. The Worcester pit hit buried demolition waste and American Asphalt withdrew. The Solberg Lake pit is the ongoing one.

Who is leading the health research?

Public Health Officer Tiffany Pollitchek, at the request of Supervisor Robert Copich, per the July 8 HHS Board meeting.

Solberg Lake Asphalt Plant: Price County Orders Public Health Research Before American Asphalt’s Likely Comeback