Residents of Oakland County townships living on gravel roads who would like to participate in the Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) dust-control program this year can now submit their applications for the service. Applications must be received by Monday, April 24.
Residents should check with their township to see if the township participates in the cost of dust control (this could change from year to year, so even if residents checked with the township last year, they should check again this year).
The program involves RCOC applying mineral-well brine to gravel roads four times during the summer and fall to help control dust. The cost to participate in the program is 50.64 cents per linear foot. Residents living on subdivision streets pay for a minimum of 1,000 linear feet of application ($506.40 total for four applications).
On “mile-type” gravel roads, orders should be for a minimum of 500 feet with no more than one skipped section (non-participating property).
Residents can fill out and submit RCOC’s dust-control application to place an order. To submit an application, visit RCOC’s Department of Customer Services offices, 2420 Pontiac Lake Road in Waterford Township (at County Center Drive West, just west of Telegraph Road), call the office toll-free at (877) 858-4804 or send an email to dcsmail@rcoc.org. The Department of Customer Services office is open to the public Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.
Applications can also be mailed in or dropped at the drop-box at the door to RCOC’s Paul Van Roekel Service Center in Waterford Township. The drop box is at the building's main front/Customer Services entrance facing County Center Drive West. The address is RCOC Dust-Control Program, Paul Van Roekel Service Center, 2420 Pontiac Lake Road, Waterford Township, MI 48328.
Instructions and the application are available online at: http://www.rcocweb.org/339/Gravel-Road-Dust-Control-and-Chloride-Sc. Residents can also get an application by calling RCOC’s Department of Customer Services office toll-free at (877) 858-4804 or by sending an e-mail to dcsmail@rcoc.org.
Some township offices will also accept the applications — residents should check with their township to see if their application should be submitted there or directly to the Road Commission.
Private roads are not included in the dust-control program.
Mineral-well brine is naturally occurring saltwater that is pumped from the ground. When applied to gravel roads, the brine draws moisture from the air and ground, and the moisture helps to bind the materials in the road surface, reducing the amount of dust that becomes airborne and providing a better driving surface.
