Sunday, October 24, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Citizen's Statement to Freetown Soil Board
I am here tonight because each and every time CCA blasts, my house shakes. Not every once in a while, or some blasts and not others, but every blast, every time. I have been keeping a log to record each blast and its effects on my home and I encourage everyone else here tonight who feels their home shake to do the same.
I can tell you that truck traffic on Bryant Street has significantly increased since the CCA quarry opened in Freetown. Who is enforcing the truck route? It is my understanding that trucks are suppose to use RT 79 and not Bryant St. What about the quarry customers and their trucks? Are they using Rt. 79 or Bryant St.? I have seen trucks going down Bryant St. carrying earth moving equipment. I have been stopped in my car behind large trucks going down Bryant St. that turned into the quarry site.
An Assonet neighbor was out on Bryant St. looking for her cat and was nearly hit by cars trying to pass trucks lined up on Bryant St. entering the quarry site. She had to literally take a nose dive into the woods to keep from being hit. I was stopped in my car at Bryant and Rt. 79 and had to move off the road into the grass to allow enough room for a truck turning on Bryant St. to keep from hitting my car. I checked my rear-view mirror. The truck turned into the quarry site.
CCA has not been watering their driveway. That driveway is dry and dusty. Today, I noticed clouds of dust coming from the wheels of the quarry trucks. A neighbor across the street told me he drove down Bryant St. past the quarry site and the entire end of Bryant Street was covered in a cloud of dust.
CCA has not secured their quarry site. Kids go on the site all the time to race their off-road vehicles. The neighborhood hears the noise from that. If kids are going on the site, what is to stop someone from falling into the quarry pit and being seriously hurt, if not killed?
My neighbors complain that the blasting frightens their animals - horses, cows, sheep, dogs, cats, etc. It also frightens people. Even if you have been called and warned that the blast is coming, when it happens it causes an involuntary startle effect. This releases extra adrenaline in the body and creates a kind of alert nervousness. When residents complained that the blasts startled animals, CCA said, "It's going to." When we said it startled people, CCA said, "It's going to," without any apology, without any plans to lessen the effects. Why are we expected to simply live with this? The constant startle effect causes Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in blasting victims. A neighbor in Assonet complains that the blast constantly wakes up her baby. It is causing the child emotional stress which can affect the baby's brain development. It is disturbing the baby's sleep patterns and causing the child to develop sleep problems with both nap time and night time sleeping. The child did not experience these problems before the blasting began.
An Assonet neighbor has had her foundation shift since the blasting started. She is now getting water in her basement that is causing mold. In the 30 years she has lived in the house, she has never had water or mold in her basement until the blasting started.
There are people in Assonet and Berkley with pre-existing health conditions. These people are suffering because of this quarry. There is a man with one lung, a woman with CPOD, a woman with Lupus, several children with asthma. The dust issue poses a serious health threat for these residents, whose breathing capacity and immune systems are already compromised. Why should their health be put at risk?
The bulk of the problems at the moment are being caused by blast vibrations shaking homes. What right does a Freetown business have to shake homes in Berkley? Why should Berkely residents suffer for the sake of a Freetown business? What vibration plan has CCA developed? If they haven't developed one, why not? This Soil Board should be more concerned with protecting the property and safety of both Freetown and Berkley homeowners.
I formally request that CCA hire a company such as Vibra-Tech. This type of company can conduct an Iso-Seismic Survey of the geology surrounding the quarry and map out the way the ground wants to vibrate. Then blasts can be configured in such a way that the delays disrupt the ground's natural rhythm, pushing it at all the wrong times to make it vibrate. If the ground can't vibrate very well, then neither will the houses built on it. The result is that the ground vibrates at a lower amplitude, for a shorter duration with less low-frequency energy to shake neighbors. There are solutions to the problem and CCA and this Soil Board should seek them and use them.
There are currently 4 homes on Bryant St. that are for sale specifically because the homeowners want to get away from living next to the quarry site. These homes have been siting on the market without being able to sell. In a buyer's market, why would anyone pay to live in a home where the house shakes, there is constant loud noise from the quarry site as well as the noise from blasting, heavy truck traffic and dust? Buyers can just as easily pay the same price to buy homes that do not have these problems. This leaves families stuck - not being able to move and leave a bad situation because they can't sell their homes.
This not only traps people in a situation they can't live with and can't get away from, but it lowers property values. Homeowners have already suffered property devaluation because of the current market. Add to that the quarry site nuisances that make the property undesirable in the market and the homes loose even more value. This means that all these homes that are loosing additional value because of the quarry site should have their property taxes lowered accordingly. When the property values on one side of town go down, the town still has to raise the same amount of tax money to fund town expenses. That money has to come from somewhere, so it comes from other homeowners. Homeowners who do not live near the quarry will see their property taxes go up. Why should tax payers in East Freetown pay higher taxes because the Town wants a quarry? It isn't fair or just, but it is what happens to taxpayers. So even homeowners on the opposite side of town who never feel their homes shake, will be negatively impacted by this quarry through rising property taxes.
I can tell you that truck traffic on Bryant Street has significantly increased since the CCA quarry opened in Freetown. Who is enforcing the truck route? It is my understanding that trucks are suppose to use RT 79 and not Bryant St. What about the quarry customers and their trucks? Are they using Rt. 79 or Bryant St.? I have seen trucks going down Bryant St. carrying earth moving equipment. I have been stopped in my car behind large trucks going down Bryant St. that turned into the quarry site.
An Assonet neighbor was out on Bryant St. looking for her cat and was nearly hit by cars trying to pass trucks lined up on Bryant St. entering the quarry site. She had to literally take a nose dive into the woods to keep from being hit. I was stopped in my car at Bryant and Rt. 79 and had to move off the road into the grass to allow enough room for a truck turning on Bryant St. to keep from hitting my car. I checked my rear-view mirror. The truck turned into the quarry site.
CCA has not been watering their driveway. That driveway is dry and dusty. Today, I noticed clouds of dust coming from the wheels of the quarry trucks. A neighbor across the street told me he drove down Bryant St. past the quarry site and the entire end of Bryant Street was covered in a cloud of dust.
CCA has not secured their quarry site. Kids go on the site all the time to race their off-road vehicles. The neighborhood hears the noise from that. If kids are going on the site, what is to stop someone from falling into the quarry pit and being seriously hurt, if not killed?
My neighbors complain that the blasting frightens their animals - horses, cows, sheep, dogs, cats, etc. It also frightens people. Even if you have been called and warned that the blast is coming, when it happens it causes an involuntary startle effect. This releases extra adrenaline in the body and creates a kind of alert nervousness. When residents complained that the blasts startled animals, CCA said, "It's going to." When we said it startled people, CCA said, "It's going to," without any apology, without any plans to lessen the effects. Why are we expected to simply live with this? The constant startle effect causes Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in blasting victims. A neighbor in Assonet complains that the blast constantly wakes up her baby. It is causing the child emotional stress which can affect the baby's brain development. It is disturbing the baby's sleep patterns and causing the child to develop sleep problems with both nap time and night time sleeping. The child did not experience these problems before the blasting began.
An Assonet neighbor has had her foundation shift since the blasting started. She is now getting water in her basement that is causing mold. In the 30 years she has lived in the house, she has never had water or mold in her basement until the blasting started.
There are people in Assonet and Berkley with pre-existing health conditions. These people are suffering because of this quarry. There is a man with one lung, a woman with CPOD, a woman with Lupus, several children with asthma. The dust issue poses a serious health threat for these residents, whose breathing capacity and immune systems are already compromised. Why should their health be put at risk?
The bulk of the problems at the moment are being caused by blast vibrations shaking homes. What right does a Freetown business have to shake homes in Berkley? Why should Berkely residents suffer for the sake of a Freetown business? What vibration plan has CCA developed? If they haven't developed one, why not? This Soil Board should be more concerned with protecting the property and safety of both Freetown and Berkley homeowners.
I formally request that CCA hire a company such as Vibra-Tech. This type of company can conduct an Iso-Seismic Survey of the geology surrounding the quarry and map out the way the ground wants to vibrate. Then blasts can be configured in such a way that the delays disrupt the ground's natural rhythm, pushing it at all the wrong times to make it vibrate. If the ground can't vibrate very well, then neither will the houses built on it. The result is that the ground vibrates at a lower amplitude, for a shorter duration with less low-frequency energy to shake neighbors. There are solutions to the problem and CCA and this Soil Board should seek them and use them.
There are currently 4 homes on Bryant St. that are for sale specifically because the homeowners want to get away from living next to the quarry site. These homes have been siting on the market without being able to sell. In a buyer's market, why would anyone pay to live in a home where the house shakes, there is constant loud noise from the quarry site as well as the noise from blasting, heavy truck traffic and dust? Buyers can just as easily pay the same price to buy homes that do not have these problems. This leaves families stuck - not being able to move and leave a bad situation because they can't sell their homes.
This not only traps people in a situation they can't live with and can't get away from, but it lowers property values. Homeowners have already suffered property devaluation because of the current market. Add to that the quarry site nuisances that make the property undesirable in the market and the homes loose even more value. This means that all these homes that are loosing additional value because of the quarry site should have their property taxes lowered accordingly. When the property values on one side of town go down, the town still has to raise the same amount of tax money to fund town expenses. That money has to come from somewhere, so it comes from other homeowners. Homeowners who do not live near the quarry will see their property taxes go up. Why should tax payers in East Freetown pay higher taxes because the Town wants a quarry? It isn't fair or just, but it is what happens to taxpayers. So even homeowners on the opposite side of town who never feel their homes shake, will be negatively impacted by this quarry through rising property taxes.
Freetown Aproves CCA Permit after Citizen Opposition
Tonight the Freetown Soil Board approved the CCA permit renewal application to operate a 24 acre quarry in Freetwon near the Berkley town line. The CCA application asked for fees to the Town to be waived.
An Assonet resident who suffers from MS said that her foundation began leaking after the blasting for the quarry project began. She has to mop up the water to prevent mold forming in her house. She claims she has lived in her home for 30 years and never experienced any water in her basement before the blasting began. She said that David Peterson from CCA was at her home to view the situation over a year ago. According th her account, Mr. Peterson said at that time that the quarry would address the matter within 2 weeks. Since that time, over a year ago, CCA has taken no action to correct the problem. As this woman suffers from MS, she says that having to deal with the water and possible mold problem in her house as well as the stress from the blasting has had a negative impact on her health.
Many other neighbors in both Berkley and Assonet stated that their homes shake violently during the quarry blasts and that items fall off the shelves in their homes during blasts. One Assonet resident described it as a "wave" of vibration that moves through one end of the house to the other. Assonet residents complained that their homes were not offered any pre-blast inspections before blasting began.
Another Assonet resident stated that the corner of his home is starting to separate because of the quarry blasts.
One Assonet resident brought her young son to the meeting and said she came to complain about the blasting and her home shaking because the experience was so unsetteling to her children that her children asked her to speak about it.
Bryant Street residents complained of increased truck traffic on Bryant St, of quarry trucks cutting off passenger cars on the road, of being forced off the road by quarry trucks, and of near misses with pedestrians and passenger cars.
Residents sited dust problems with the site and noise from the operation as continual problems that have not been addressed.
A Berkley resident stated that four homes on Bryant St. have gone up for sale by families trying to move away from the quarry site The homes, she says, have been sitting on the market without selling because people do not want to purchase homes that shake from blasting, are near a source of constant loud noise, truck traffic and dust when homes can be purchased that do not have these problems. This, she claimed, is leaving families trapped in a situation they are unable to escape and unable to tolerate living with.
A decline in property values for homes near the quarry was called to the Board's attention with the assertion by residents that this would result in a lowering of property taxes for those homes near the quarry site due to a drop in their property values and an increase in property taxes for homes located in other areas of town in order for those homes to carry the town's tax burden.
The Board was asked to have CCA create a vibration plan and to hire a company that could test the geology of the area in order to time blasts in such a a way as to minimize the ground vibration felt by the surrounding neighborhoods. Berkley resident, Paula Dugan, asked the Board to conduct a monitoring plan for the site with more rigid and frequent safety monitoring to be conducted on an ongoing basis. She also requested that CCA water their driveway to suppress dust, that the truck route be enforced and that the town hire a consultant funded by a fee paid by CCA to conduct an independent environmental study of the potential impact of the project. The Board approved the permit without imposing any restrictions or requiring any studies.
Representatives from the local ball field noted that CCA has contributed to their organization and the Board read a letter for the school principal in support of CCA for help with a driveway and speaking with children about rocks and minerals.
Opponents stated that the company makes such donations in order to divide the town and the voters so that those people who are not affected by the negative aspects of the quarry but who support a particular sport or organization will support the quarry project. Some residents claimed CCA was "buying their way into town."
Greg O'Brien, CCA's Public Relations Representative, stated that the company is a family business and that they make donations to the places where they operate.
Ms Dugan, an opponent to the quarry project stated, "I can not understand how the town can renew a permit for a potentially dangerous operation surrounded by family homes when Jean Fox admitted in a previous meeting that she has not researched the issue and the impact of the site has never been adequately or independently studied. If the Freetown Soil Board is going to renew this permit they should take care of the problems this site is causing neighbors and they have not done that."
An Assonet resident who suffers from MS said that her foundation began leaking after the blasting for the quarry project began. She has to mop up the water to prevent mold forming in her house. She claims she has lived in her home for 30 years and never experienced any water in her basement before the blasting began. She said that David Peterson from CCA was at her home to view the situation over a year ago. According th her account, Mr. Peterson said at that time that the quarry would address the matter within 2 weeks. Since that time, over a year ago, CCA has taken no action to correct the problem. As this woman suffers from MS, she says that having to deal with the water and possible mold problem in her house as well as the stress from the blasting has had a negative impact on her health.
Many other neighbors in both Berkley and Assonet stated that their homes shake violently during the quarry blasts and that items fall off the shelves in their homes during blasts. One Assonet resident described it as a "wave" of vibration that moves through one end of the house to the other. Assonet residents complained that their homes were not offered any pre-blast inspections before blasting began.
Another Assonet resident stated that the corner of his home is starting to separate because of the quarry blasts.
One Assonet resident brought her young son to the meeting and said she came to complain about the blasting and her home shaking because the experience was so unsetteling to her children that her children asked her to speak about it.
Bryant Street residents complained of increased truck traffic on Bryant St, of quarry trucks cutting off passenger cars on the road, of being forced off the road by quarry trucks, and of near misses with pedestrians and passenger cars.
Residents sited dust problems with the site and noise from the operation as continual problems that have not been addressed.
A Berkley resident stated that four homes on Bryant St. have gone up for sale by families trying to move away from the quarry site The homes, she says, have been sitting on the market without selling because people do not want to purchase homes that shake from blasting, are near a source of constant loud noise, truck traffic and dust when homes can be purchased that do not have these problems. This, she claimed, is leaving families trapped in a situation they are unable to escape and unable to tolerate living with.
A decline in property values for homes near the quarry was called to the Board's attention with the assertion by residents that this would result in a lowering of property taxes for those homes near the quarry site due to a drop in their property values and an increase in property taxes for homes located in other areas of town in order for those homes to carry the town's tax burden.
The Board was asked to have CCA create a vibration plan and to hire a company that could test the geology of the area in order to time blasts in such a a way as to minimize the ground vibration felt by the surrounding neighborhoods. Berkley resident, Paula Dugan, asked the Board to conduct a monitoring plan for the site with more rigid and frequent safety monitoring to be conducted on an ongoing basis. She also requested that CCA water their driveway to suppress dust, that the truck route be enforced and that the town hire a consultant funded by a fee paid by CCA to conduct an independent environmental study of the potential impact of the project. The Board approved the permit without imposing any restrictions or requiring any studies.
Representatives from the local ball field noted that CCA has contributed to their organization and the Board read a letter for the school principal in support of CCA for help with a driveway and speaking with children about rocks and minerals.
Opponents stated that the company makes such donations in order to divide the town and the voters so that those people who are not affected by the negative aspects of the quarry but who support a particular sport or organization will support the quarry project. Some residents claimed CCA was "buying their way into town."
Greg O'Brien, CCA's Public Relations Representative, stated that the company is a family business and that they make donations to the places where they operate.
Ms Dugan, an opponent to the quarry project stated, "I can not understand how the town can renew a permit for a potentially dangerous operation surrounded by family homes when Jean Fox admitted in a previous meeting that she has not researched the issue and the impact of the site has never been adequately or independently studied. If the Freetown Soil Board is going to renew this permit they should take care of the problems this site is causing neighbors and they have not done that."
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Victory! Article 23 Approved!
The Attorney General approved Article 23 which was passed at Town Meeting by the voters of Berkley on June 7th. Article 23 is now a general by-law for the Town of Berkley prohibiting commercial excavation below the annual high water line. Cape Cod Aggregates fought hard to have the Attorney General deny Article 23. They are trying to create a quarry 250 feet deep in a residential neighborhood, mining below the aquifer that supplies the only drinking water available to residents through private wells.
Thank you to everyone who contacted the Attorney General's Office in support of Article 23. Democracy still works!
Thank you to everyone who contacted the Attorney General's Office in support of Article 23. Democracy still works!
Friday, August 27, 2010
Flyrock Slide Show
A blast from a quarry sent a rock crashing into this home in Buffalo Township. Why would we want to take the chance of exposing families in Berkley and Assonet to this type of safety hazard and property damage by allowing the Cape Cod Aggregates quarry site in an area surrounded by homes?
hppt://www.thepitsburghchannel.com/slideshow/r/24746196/detail.html
hppt://www.thepitsburghchannel.com/slideshow/r/24746196/detail.html
Sunday, August 15, 2010
More Assonet Residents Feeling Blasts
More and more residents of Assonet are reporting feeling their homes shake from the quarry blasting. The blasts are starting to affect more homes that are further away from the blast site.
Resident Almost Hit Due to Quarry Trucks
An Assonet resident was walking on Bryant St, looking for her cat. One large truck was exiting the quarry and another large truck was entering the quarry. There wasn't enough room on Bryant St. for two large trucks traveling in opposite directions at the same time. Bryant St. is a narrow road with no curb, shoulder or sidewalk. The trucks were holding up several cars that were trying to get by. Once a car got around the trucks, the person walking had to jump off the road and take a nose dive into the woods to avoid being hit. This is creating a public safety hazard.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Loud Blast and Strong Vibrations
Blast on 8/2/2010 at 11:30 a.m. was very loud. There were two shock waves that shook the house a lot and strongly rattled the windows.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Blast on July 22
There was a blast form the quarry on July 22nd. The sound of the blast was very, very loud followed by a low rumble.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Attorney General Contact
The MA Attorney General's email address is ago@state.ma.us
To call or write, visit the Attorney General's web page.
If you want to get a response to your letter, you need to supply your name, address, email address and phone number.
To call or write, visit the Attorney General's web page.
If you want to get a response to your letter, you need to supply your name, address, email address and phone number.
Contact MA Attorney General
Even though Article 23 passed by a large majority at Berkley Town Meeting this June, there is an attempt by a special interest to lobby the Attorney General not to approve the Article for inclusion into the Town's Bylaws.
Article 23 protects the residents' drinking water. The only source for clean drinking water in Berkley is from private wells, supplied by an aquifer. That aquifer is part of the Taunton River Watershed. It is part of two river systems, the Assonet River and the Taunton River. The Taunton River is a designated Wild and Scenic River, and some if it's most beautiful scenery is on the banks of Berkley. The UN considers clean drinking water to be a basic human right.
Please write, email or call Attorney General Coakley's office and ask her to approve Article 23 for the Town of Berkley. Ask her not to undermine the Democratic process by caving in to to big business.
Article 23 protects the residents' drinking water. The only source for clean drinking water in Berkley is from private wells, supplied by an aquifer. That aquifer is part of the Taunton River Watershed. It is part of two river systems, the Assonet River and the Taunton River. The Taunton River is a designated Wild and Scenic River, and some if it's most beautiful scenery is on the banks of Berkley. The UN considers clean drinking water to be a basic human right.
Please write, email or call Attorney General Coakley's office and ask her to approve Article 23 for the Town of Berkley. Ask her not to undermine the Democratic process by caving in to to big business.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Thank You Berkley Voters
Below is a link to a Letter to the Editor in the Taunton Gazette. It is a "thank you" to the voters of Berkley for passing Article 23 at Town Meeting on Monday, June 7th.
http://www.tauntongazette.com/opinions/x148966082/LETTER-Voter-grateful-for-new-soil-bylaw
http://www.tauntongazette.com/opinions/x148966082/LETTER-Voter-grateful-for-new-soil-bylaw
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
News Article on Ground Water Bylaw
Below is a link for an article in the Taunton Gazette with news coverage of Berkley Town Meeting, Monday, June 7th and the vote on Article 23 regarding ground water protection and quarrying.
http://www.tauntongazette.com/topstories/x2023187891/Berkley-approves-regionalization-override-vote-next
http://www.tauntongazette.com/topstories/x2023187891/Berkley-approves-regionalization-override-vote-next
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Ground Water Protection Passes
On Monday, June 7th, voters passed Article 23 at Berkley Town Meeting. Article 23 was written by Berkley resident Mark Speer and put on the warrant by petition. This general bylaw provides protection for the town's groundwater by preventing excavation below the mean waterline.
Berkley residents depend on ground water from private wells as their only source of clean drinking water.
Berkley residents depend on ground water from private wells as their only source of clean drinking water.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Check Out These Videos
Our cause to protect the health and safety of residents of Berkley/Freetown, MA and the ecology of the area is now on You Tube. Check out the video links below.
Berkley and Freetown, MA - Quarry Oppositionhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxUec7tQLHY
Berkley and Freetown, MA - Freetown Residents Reaction to Quarryhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imvmA1v4GKo
Berkley and Freetown, MA - Quarry Health Issues Part 1 (American Lung Association)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8HEBLnkxqY
Berkley and Freetown, MA - Quarry Health Issues Part 2 (Green Futures Statement)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-1LM9J5kFg
Berkley and Freetown, MA - Quarry Health Issues Part 3 (Toxics Action Statement)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLyj6OCSj-I
Berkley and Freetown, MA - How to Document Quarry Blasting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEG1bY0HYp8
Berkley and Freetown, MA - Quarry Oppositionhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxUec7tQLHY
Berkley and Freetown, MA - Freetown Residents Reaction to Quarryhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imvmA1v4GKo
Berkley and Freetown, MA - Quarry Health Issues Part 1 (American Lung Association)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8HEBLnkxqY
Berkley and Freetown, MA - Quarry Health Issues Part 2 (Green Futures Statement)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-1LM9J5kFg
Berkley and Freetown, MA - Quarry Health Issues Part 3 (Toxics Action Statement)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLyj6OCSj-I
Berkley and Freetown, MA - How to Document Quarry Blasting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEG1bY0HYp8
Friday, April 23, 2010
Please Make a Donation
We need your help. Please help us to protect the public health and public safety of the residents of Assonet and Berkley MA as well as to protect the environment, important biomes, threatened species, vernal pool,s Quaker Brook and the Assonet River. Please donate to our cause. Checks or money orders can be mailed to:
Citizens for Health, Safety, Ecology
PO Box 492
Assonet, MA 02702
No donation is too large or too small. Every bit helps.
Thank you.
Citizens for Health, Safety, Ecology
PO Box 492
Assonet, MA 02702
No donation is too large or too small. Every bit helps.
Thank you.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Below are statements from a Freetown resident expressing his views about the Cape Cod Aggregtes quarry operation in a residential neighborhood in Freetown.
I can see no positive aspects in operating a quarry in a residential neighborhood. If the quarry disrupts or contaminates the water, causes property damage, or health problems; the burden of proof falls on the homeowner creating tens of thousands of dollars in homeowner expense. Also having a quarry in a residential neighborhood lowers the value of your home. It has the potential to create severe health, safety and environmental issues. It has the potential to cause damage to homes and wells. In my opinion, there is not enough regulation or oversight of the operation to ensure the public safety.
The question we must answer is this; is having a quarry operation in a residential neighborhood, in the best interests for the tax-paying residents of Freetown/Berkley? We believe it is not. It may place residents in harms way, damage and devalue property, and will cost the residents and the town both aggravation and money.
The residents of Freetown/Berkley ask that their quality of life not be jeopardized. We wish to be allowed to live in the homes we have invested in, in a relatively safe, healthy environment with our families and children.
Lenard St.
I can see no positive aspects in operating a quarry in a residential neighborhood. If the quarry disrupts or contaminates the water, causes property damage, or health problems; the burden of proof falls on the homeowner creating tens of thousands of dollars in homeowner expense. Also having a quarry in a residential neighborhood lowers the value of your home. It has the potential to create severe health, safety and environmental issues. It has the potential to cause damage to homes and wells. In my opinion, there is not enough regulation or oversight of the operation to ensure the public safety.
The question we must answer is this; is having a quarry operation in a residential neighborhood, in the best interests for the tax-paying residents of Freetown/Berkley? We believe it is not. It may place residents in harms way, damage and devalue property, and will cost the residents and the town both aggravation and money.
The residents of Freetown/Berkley ask that their quality of life not be jeopardized. We wish to be allowed to live in the homes we have invested in, in a relatively safe, healthy environment with our families and children.
Lenard St.
Helath Concerns
Below is a statement from a Freetown resident regarding concerns about the CCA quarry operating in a residential neighborhood.
Rock crushing quarry operations can create fine rock dust, which can travel for miles in the air and bury deep into the lungs causing respiratory problems and irritating already existing respiratory conditions. Silica dust has been proven to cause lung cancer, silicosis, tuberculosis, scleroderma, kidney failure, and immune system disorders.
Some people neighboring this quarry operation already have serious health conditions. Dust from the quarry operation would be extremely detrimental to these people who already have fragile health.
Lenard Street
Rock crushing quarry operations can create fine rock dust, which can travel for miles in the air and bury deep into the lungs causing respiratory problems and irritating already existing respiratory conditions. Silica dust has been proven to cause lung cancer, silicosis, tuberculosis, scleroderma, kidney failure, and immune system disorders.
Some people neighboring this quarry operation already have serious health conditions. Dust from the quarry operation would be extremely detrimental to these people who already have fragile health.
Lenard Street
Health/ Water Concerns
Below are statements form a Freetown resident regarding neighborhood concerns about the CCA quarry.
Quarry operations may cause a serious threat to human health when situated close to residential homes, affecting the water we drink, the air we breathe.
Currently CCA’s operation owns land which borders Quaker Brook and Freetown Conservation Commission Land. All homes in the area get their drinking water from private wells. We have concerns that blasting may cause wells to go dry or contaminate drinking water with toxins including radon, nitrates and benzene. Each of these contaminates has been linked to a serious health hazard, such as stomach cancer, Hodgkin’s disease, and leukemia.
No hydrology tests, pump tests, or environmental impact studies have performed by independent parties not under report to the quarry company.
What type of environmental protection is being offered to the citizens of Freetown?
Quaker Brook feeds into the Assonet River. What assurance is there to citizens of Freetown/Berkley, that CCA is in compliance with the Clean Waters Act or the State Rivers Protection Act in regards to the Assonet River?
Can our elected officials guarantee that town bylaws are stringent enough to ensure that the Clean Water Act, and the State Rivers Protection Act regulations, EPA rules and regulations are being adhered to by CCA?
What type of environmental protection is being offered to the citizens of Freetown/Berkely?
Lenard St.
Quarry operations may cause a serious threat to human health when situated close to residential homes, affecting the water we drink, the air we breathe.
Currently CCA’s operation owns land which borders Quaker Brook and Freetown Conservation Commission Land. All homes in the area get their drinking water from private wells. We have concerns that blasting may cause wells to go dry or contaminate drinking water with toxins including radon, nitrates and benzene. Each of these contaminates has been linked to a serious health hazard, such as stomach cancer, Hodgkin’s disease, and leukemia.
No hydrology tests, pump tests, or environmental impact studies have performed by independent parties not under report to the quarry company.
What type of environmental protection is being offered to the citizens of Freetown?
Quaker Brook feeds into the Assonet River. What assurance is there to citizens of Freetown/Berkley, that CCA is in compliance with the Clean Waters Act or the State Rivers Protection Act in regards to the Assonet River?
Can our elected officials guarantee that town bylaws are stringent enough to ensure that the Clean Water Act, and the State Rivers Protection Act regulations, EPA rules and regulations are being adhered to by CCA?
What type of environmental protection is being offered to the citizens of Freetown/Berkely?
Lenard St.
Flyrock Concerns
Below are comments form a resident regarding flyrock concerns for abutters near the Cape Cod Aggregates quarry site in Freetown, MA.
I am concerned about fly rock, that is small small rocks or boulders flying through the air like projectiles. It can cause considerable damage. Fly rock can and has injured people. It also can and has killed people in the past.
For example, I saw on TV, (Fox 25 News) in the spring of 2009 at the West Roxbury quarry (Owned by family members of the CCA quarry),fly rock caused damage to someone’s home located in a residential neighborhood. A gentleman stated that stones from the quarry traveled 700 feet and knocked down his stonewall.
What kind of safety protection is being provided to the citizens of Freetown/Berkley?
Lenard St.
I am concerned about fly rock, that is small small rocks or boulders flying through the air like projectiles. It can cause considerable damage. Fly rock can and has injured people. It also can and has killed people in the past.
For example, I saw on TV, (Fox 25 News) in the spring of 2009 at the West Roxbury quarry (Owned by family members of the CCA quarry),fly rock caused damage to someone’s home located in a residential neighborhood. A gentleman stated that stones from the quarry traveled 700 feet and knocked down his stonewall.
What kind of safety protection is being provided to the citizens of Freetown/Berkley?
Lenard St.
Noise Pollution
Below are a resident's statements about the noise experienced in a Freetown residential neighborhood form the Cape Cod Aggregates quarry operation.
Rock crushing operations create a constant noise and quarry blasting is even louder. The noise from these blasts are very loud. Currently I cannot sit outside on my deck for lunch or to just read a book and relax, without the constant noise from the quarry. What once was a relatively quiet residential area has now changed to a noisy industrial zone.
Lenard St.
Rock crushing operations create a constant noise and quarry blasting is even louder. The noise from these blasts are very loud. Currently I cannot sit outside on my deck for lunch or to just read a book and relax, without the constant noise from the quarry. What once was a relatively quiet residential area has now changed to a noisy industrial zone.
Lenard St.
Blasting Affects Neighborhoods
The once relatively quiet neighborhood where I live is now disturbed by blasts that are occurring on a regular basis. Last week there were two, Monday April 5th and Friday April 9th
Here are some of the key issues that are bothering my fellow neighbors and me.
Vibration
We believe that ground vibrations from quarry operations may cause structural damage to homes . Every time there is a CCA blast, it is very loud and shakes my house quite extensively. It feels like the equivalent to a truck or train hitting your house. I have been in earthquakes before, on January 1994 at Northridge, Ca, and in September 2006 at Bar Harbor, Me, and believe me the blasts are equivalent to an earthquake. Last week there were 2 blasts that shook my house and they were very loud. I feel that I am living in a war zone. The question is how many more blasts will it take before permanent structural damage occurs to my home or to a neighbor’s home.?
Since homeowners insurance does not cover damage due to blasting, the individual homeowner is held responsible to try and recover any damages.
Lenard Street
Here are some of the key issues that are bothering my fellow neighbors and me.
Vibration
We believe that ground vibrations from quarry operations may cause structural damage to homes . Every time there is a CCA blast, it is very loud and shakes my house quite extensively. It feels like the equivalent to a truck or train hitting your house. I have been in earthquakes before, on January 1994 at Northridge, Ca, and in September 2006 at Bar Harbor, Me, and believe me the blasts are equivalent to an earthquake. Last week there were 2 blasts that shook my house and they were very loud. I feel that I am living in a war zone. The question is how many more blasts will it take before permanent structural damage occurs to my home or to a neighbor’s home.?
Since homeowners insurance does not cover damage due to blasting, the individual homeowner is held responsible to try and recover any damages.
Lenard Street
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Public Forum with CCA
CCA gave a presentation to the public on Tuesday, April 13th at the Berkley Community School. David Peterson from CCA showed a power point presentation on items that aggregates are used for. There was no new information in the presentation, nothing that has not been stated to the public previously or that is not on their web site. The newspaper announcement of the presentation promised that CCA would discuss the Freetown quarry operation, however there was no information presented about the Freetown operation or any plans for a Berkley proposal. When asked by residents to get to pertenant information about the company's operations and plans in Berkley/Freetown David Peterson said the meeting was for those people who did not know what aggragetes were. However, CCA called and invited direct abutters to attend.
A room full of Berkley and Freetown residents expressed their dissatisfaction with experiencing their homes shake, their animals become nervous and agitated, the loud sound of the explosions and constant noise from the site. Several residents were also greatly concerned about their properties becoming "unsellable" because of now being located near a quarry. Dave Peterson said he had no intentions of buying any homes to enable residents to leave. When residents complained that their homes shake he said unsympathetically, "They are going to." When people complained about animals becoming nervous and upset for days following each blast, David Pertson said again, "They are going to. Animals feel more of the ground vibration then humans do. They are more sensitive to it." He offered no remedies. Several times during the meeting David Peterson had no answers for resident questions.
After the meeting one direct abutter said, "I can't believe they think they can just come into our neighborhood and destroy our quality of life, affect our homes and think that we are just suppose to sit here and take it."
A room full of Berkley and Freetown residents expressed their dissatisfaction with experiencing their homes shake, their animals become nervous and agitated, the loud sound of the explosions and constant noise from the site. Several residents were also greatly concerned about their properties becoming "unsellable" because of now being located near a quarry. Dave Peterson said he had no intentions of buying any homes to enable residents to leave. When residents complained that their homes shake he said unsympathetically, "They are going to." When people complained about animals becoming nervous and upset for days following each blast, David Pertson said again, "They are going to. Animals feel more of the ground vibration then humans do. They are more sensitive to it." He offered no remedies. Several times during the meeting David Peterson had no answers for resident questions.
After the meeting one direct abutter said, "I can't believe they think they can just come into our neighborhood and destroy our quality of life, affect our homes and think that we are just suppose to sit here and take it."
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