Showing posts with label Assonet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Assonet. Show all posts
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.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Packed Breakables Away
I packed away all of my good china and took glass ornaments and decorations down from the beams where they used to hang. I didn't want the decorations to fall during a blast and hit us on the head. I didn't want my good dishes to rattle and fall over and break. When guests came over for a dinner party, I had to unpack all my good dishes to use them and then pack them all back up again afterwords. It is a lot of trouble to go through just to keep your things from getting broken. It is a hard way to live every day - like living out of a suitcase in your own home.
PD
PD
Concerns
I am concerned about Benzene getting into my well water form the ANFO used to ignite the blasts, my well going dry and my home becomming damaged and loosing its value in the market because it is now located next to a major nusience.
Concerned
Concerned
No Peace of Mind
Since CCA has come into the neighborhood, our peace and quite has been taken away. Our peace of mind has been taken away. We have not been able to enjoy our yard as much as we used to before CCA arrived. This greatly impacts our ability to use and enjoy our own property.
Bryant
Bryant
Earthquake-like Experience
I was in the yard this summer when the quarry blasted. I felt the earth ripple under my feet. It felt just like an earthquake. It was a very unnerving experience.
Blast Sounds Like Sonic Boom
(The CCA quarry blast causes) wall tremors with severe window vibrations and shaking with sonic boom type sounds.
Cudworth
Cudworth
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Alarmed Resident
My wife said it (the blast of October 19th at the CCA quarry site) was like an earthquake, It was very loud. Everything shook. It was way worse then the "tests" performed.
Shortly after the blast, a fire truck came through the neighborhood - so, obviously other people were alarmed as well - having called the Fire Department.
Obie
Shortly after the blast, a fire truck came through the neighborhood - so, obviously other people were alarmed as well - having called the Fire Department.
Obie
Monday, August 3, 2009
Trucks
Trucks form quarries cause enormous wear on roads. Large trucks travelling to and from quarry sites loaded down with sand, gravel and rock can weigh 25-100 tons. Each single truck trip is equivalent to thousands of car trips in terms of wear to the road. This means increased costs to the towns for road maintenance. Failing to keep up with repairing damage to the roads can create increased safety risks for motorists.
In addition to the trucks needed to transport the 20,400,000 cubic yards of earth that CCA plans to remove, there will also be additional trucks on site hauling material, trucks that bring explosives to the site, customer trucks picking up materials form the site and other trucks that may be required.
The road on which the site is located is a narrow, small town road lined with family residences. The speed limit is not posted. Residents have already observed trucks traveling down the street at 50 miles an hour in 35 and 25 mile per hour zones. Residents frequently find damage to their yards and tire tracks where trucks swerve off the narrow road onto lawns. There is no curb, no sidewalk, no street lights, n shoulder. Quarry trucks will be sharing these narrow roads with pedestrians, cyclists, school buses and family passenger cars. Many towns with quarries have documented resident complaints about quarry trucks dropping sand, gravel and rocks onto roads, trucks travelling through town uncovered, and trucks spewing dust. Towns with quarries can experience an increase in accidents between trucks and family passenger cars. In addition to serious collations, damages to passenger cars such as dented hoods and broken windshields can result from quarry trucks dropping gravel and rocks onto cars.
In addition to the trucks needed to transport the 20,400,000 cubic yards of earth that CCA plans to remove, there will also be additional trucks on site hauling material, trucks that bring explosives to the site, customer trucks picking up materials form the site and other trucks that may be required.
The road on which the site is located is a narrow, small town road lined with family residences. The speed limit is not posted. Residents have already observed trucks traveling down the street at 50 miles an hour in 35 and 25 mile per hour zones. Residents frequently find damage to their yards and tire tracks where trucks swerve off the narrow road onto lawns. There is no curb, no sidewalk, no street lights, n shoulder. Quarry trucks will be sharing these narrow roads with pedestrians, cyclists, school buses and family passenger cars. Many towns with quarries have documented resident complaints about quarry trucks dropping sand, gravel and rocks onto roads, trucks travelling through town uncovered, and trucks spewing dust. Towns with quarries can experience an increase in accidents between trucks and family passenger cars. In addition to serious collations, damages to passenger cars such as dented hoods and broken windshields can result from quarry trucks dropping gravel and rocks onto cars.
Blasting and Wells
Blasting can contaminate groundwater by releasing explosive residue in the ground and by releasing naturally occurring contaminates like radon and arsenic into groundwater wells through shifts and fissures in bedrock.
The Austinite powder that CCA is using for explosives can contaminate groundwater with nitrate. The immediate health concern is the conversion of nitrate to nitrite in the digestive tract by nitrate reducing bacteria. Nitrite is readily absorbed into the blood where it combines with the hemoglobin that carries oxygen. It forms methemoglobin, which cannot carry oxygen. The reduced oxygen supply to the body tissues causes physical stress. When severe enough, nitrate poisoning is life threatening because of suffocation. This condition is called methemoglobinemia. Pregnant women, those with health infirmities and infants are the most susceptible to nitrate poisoning. Cattle, sheep, goats and horses are more susceptible to nitrate poisoning then people or other animals. Many abuters and neighbors to the CCA quarry Freetown/Berkley property own cattle, sheep, goats and horses.
Radon is a gas that is a natural product of the breakdown of uranium in the soil. Blasting can release radon into the groundwater of nearby wells. The EPA states that using household water containing radon contributes to elevated indoor radon levels in the home. Radon is the second largest cause of lung cancer in the United States. The Center for Disease Control warns that ingesting water contaminated by radon may increase chances of developing lung cancer.
Blasting can release naturally occurring pockets of arsenic into groundwater in private wells. Arsenic is odorless and tasteless. When ingested it causes thickening and discoloration of the skin, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, numbness in the hands and feet, partial paralysis and blindness. High levels of arsenic consumption can cause death. The EPA states that arsenic has been linked to cancer of the bladder, lungs, skin, kidney, nasal passages, liver and prostate.
In a meeting with residents in February, CCA refused to place monitoring wells on their property for the neighbors who are down gradient of their site. These residents would be most vulnerable to well contamination. CCA has placed monitoring wells on the Berkley portion of their property which is up gradient of the site. In their presentation to the Berkley Board of Health they asked for a permit for the monitoring wells in order to help them proceed with their plans for bringing the larger portion of the quarry into Berkley.
The Austinite powder that CCA is using for explosives can contaminate groundwater with nitrate. The immediate health concern is the conversion of nitrate to nitrite in the digestive tract by nitrate reducing bacteria. Nitrite is readily absorbed into the blood where it combines with the hemoglobin that carries oxygen. It forms methemoglobin, which cannot carry oxygen. The reduced oxygen supply to the body tissues causes physical stress. When severe enough, nitrate poisoning is life threatening because of suffocation. This condition is called methemoglobinemia. Pregnant women, those with health infirmities and infants are the most susceptible to nitrate poisoning. Cattle, sheep, goats and horses are more susceptible to nitrate poisoning then people or other animals. Many abuters and neighbors to the CCA quarry Freetown/Berkley property own cattle, sheep, goats and horses.
Radon is a gas that is a natural product of the breakdown of uranium in the soil. Blasting can release radon into the groundwater of nearby wells. The EPA states that using household water containing radon contributes to elevated indoor radon levels in the home. Radon is the second largest cause of lung cancer in the United States. The Center for Disease Control warns that ingesting water contaminated by radon may increase chances of developing lung cancer.
Blasting can release naturally occurring pockets of arsenic into groundwater in private wells. Arsenic is odorless and tasteless. When ingested it causes thickening and discoloration of the skin, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, numbness in the hands and feet, partial paralysis and blindness. High levels of arsenic consumption can cause death. The EPA states that arsenic has been linked to cancer of the bladder, lungs, skin, kidney, nasal passages, liver and prostate.
In a meeting with residents in February, CCA refused to place monitoring wells on their property for the neighbors who are down gradient of their site. These residents would be most vulnerable to well contamination. CCA has placed monitoring wells on the Berkley portion of their property which is up gradient of the site. In their presentation to the Berkley Board of Health they asked for a permit for the monitoring wells in order to help them proceed with their plans for bringing the larger portion of the quarry into Berkley.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Gasses and Contamination from Blasting
According to NIOSH ( National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)blasting at surface mines produces the toxic gases, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitric oxide (NO), and carbon monoxide (CO). NIOSH states that surface blasting creates enough toxic fumes to have the potential to create hazards. NIOSH recommends monitoring the air and evacuating neighbors if fumes appear. No prevailing wind tests have been conducted for the Cape Cod Aggregates quarry site in Berkley, Freetown. Cape Cod Aggregates has not provided any information on if or how they will monitor the air during blasting. Cape Cod Aggregates has not produced a written plan that would demonstrate how they plan to protect public safety or evacuate in an emergency.
In addition to creating toxic clouds that contaminate the air, blasting gases and residue can also create ground and ground water contamination.
Some of the blasts used in surface mining produce a product cloud colored red or orange by the presence of NO2. NIOSH asserts that in the interest of safety every blaster should assume that any blasting product cloud is unsafe to breathe.
Carbon monoxide may travel up to several hundred feet and collect at toxic levels in the basements of nearby homes. Carbon monoxide is odorless so there is no obvious indication that a hazard exists. There have been thirty-nine suspected or medically verified carbon monoxide poisonings in homes from surface mining operations, with one fatality. According to NIOSH, in one incident in Kittanning, Pennsylvania, blasting fumes traveled 450 feet from a coal strip mine into a home, poisoning a couple and their baby. All three recovered following treatment in a hyperbaric chamber. CO moves through cracks and fissures in the ground. Homes with a French Drain are more likely to create a direct pathway for the fumes to collect. Studies recommend that the blaster place CO monitors in occupied parts of nearby homes and businesses. Berkley residents requested CO monitors from CCA or their blasting company and CCA flatly refused.
Nitrates that are not burned off during the explosion contaminate the ground and can cause contamination of ground water in private wells. Material Data Safety Sheets provided by CCA show that they are using nitro glycerine ignited by ANFO. Nitro glycerine continates nitrates that can easily contaminate the ground and groundwater. Residents depend on private wells as the only source of drinking water. ANFO contains a number of contaminates and can create a toxic orange cloud if ignited incorrectly.
Blasting releases radon gas that exists naturally in the ground. Radon released from blasting collects in the basements of nearby homes. Radon is the second largest cause of lung cancer in the United States. The risk of radon in our area is moderate on a scale of low, moderate, high from information available from the state. While our risk is not high, it is not low. Even in areas with a low risk, high pockets of radon can still exist at specific locations.
In addition to creating toxic clouds that contaminate the air, blasting gases and residue can also create ground and ground water contamination.
Some of the blasts used in surface mining produce a product cloud colored red or orange by the presence of NO2. NIOSH asserts that in the interest of safety every blaster should assume that any blasting product cloud is unsafe to breathe.
Carbon monoxide may travel up to several hundred feet and collect at toxic levels in the basements of nearby homes. Carbon monoxide is odorless so there is no obvious indication that a hazard exists. There have been thirty-nine suspected or medically verified carbon monoxide poisonings in homes from surface mining operations, with one fatality. According to NIOSH, in one incident in Kittanning, Pennsylvania, blasting fumes traveled 450 feet from a coal strip mine into a home, poisoning a couple and their baby. All three recovered following treatment in a hyperbaric chamber. CO moves through cracks and fissures in the ground. Homes with a French Drain are more likely to create a direct pathway for the fumes to collect. Studies recommend that the blaster place CO monitors in occupied parts of nearby homes and businesses. Berkley residents requested CO monitors from CCA or their blasting company and CCA flatly refused.
Nitrates that are not burned off during the explosion contaminate the ground and can cause contamination of ground water in private wells. Material Data Safety Sheets provided by CCA show that they are using nitro glycerine ignited by ANFO. Nitro glycerine continates nitrates that can easily contaminate the ground and groundwater. Residents depend on private wells as the only source of drinking water. ANFO contains a number of contaminates and can create a toxic orange cloud if ignited incorrectly.
Blasting releases radon gas that exists naturally in the ground. Radon released from blasting collects in the basements of nearby homes. Radon is the second largest cause of lung cancer in the United States. The risk of radon in our area is moderate on a scale of low, moderate, high from information available from the state. While our risk is not high, it is not low. Even in areas with a low risk, high pockets of radon can still exist at specific locations.
Flyrock
Flyrock is rock debris that is propelled from the top of the blast hole during an explosion. Flyrock can be small rocks or large boulders. According to NIOSH, flyrock and failure to secure the blasting area dominate blasting-related accidents in mining, especially in surface mining. A report issued by NIOSH states that flyrock and lack of blast area security account for 58.7% to 77.4% of all surface mining blasting injuries. The Cape Cod Aggregate mine will put the neighborhood at risk for flyrock hazards for 30 years. According to the SME Mining Engineering Handbook, flyrock can travel as far as 3,300 feet. Cape Cod Aggregates has only proposed to help homeowners pay for damages if their homes are 500 feet or less from the blast site in Berkley and have made no proposals to pay for any property damages for homeowners in Freetown. Flyrock can occur even when all correct blasting procedures have been followed. Flyrock can and has smashed through roofs, walls, windows and doors of homes and buildings. At the April 7th public meeting of the Soil Board in Berkley, Cape Cod Aggregates representatives admitted they have had flyrock incidents that caused damage to neighbor’s homes. The same quarry owners using the same blasting company - A-1 Drilling and Blasting, had a serious flyrock accident at their site in West Roxburry this June. Flyrock flew 700 feet into neighbors' yards. One rock flew with such force, it broke through a stone wall in a neighbor's yard. Rocks were imbedded into the ground of yards, they landed with such force on impact. One man was on his deck with his grandchildren when their yard and deck were pelted with rocks. It was simply luck that no one was seriously injured in the accident. Flyrock poses a safety threat to the community. It has the potential to cause death and injury to people sheltered inside their homes during a blast.
Raymond, NH Scoundrel’s Salon was pelted with rocks after a blast at Raymond Sand and Gravel. Large rocks shattered windows and doors. Large rocks were embedded in walls. “The rocks came through at the level of my head,” said stylist Cilla Clement on WMUR, Channel 9 News.
Stuarts Draft, VA “Construction Worker Hurt in Blasting Accident Dies” A worker suffered a head injury when other workers were blasting at a Target Distribution Center construction project. A 10 to 15-pound rock propelled by the blast struck the worker who was then taken to an Intensive Care Unit via helicopter. He died the next day after undergoing surgery. Other workers said he ran for cover and was behind a van when the rock struck him, piercing his hard hat. [The Richmond Times Dispatch, Richmond, VA]
Braintree, MA “Hitting too Close to Home - Rocks from Blasting Rattle Neighbors” Blasting was being done at a cemetery to create more space for graves. Some rocks from the blast flew nearly800 feet, reaching some private property near the cemetery. A rock, the size of a softball, struck the roof of one of the neighbors’ houses. No one was injured. [Patriot Ledger Quincy, MA]
Appalachia, VA “Boy Killed by Flyrock; Va. Residents Cite Flawed Regs” A boulder crashed through a bedroom wall and onto the bed where a 3 year old boy was sleeping. The huge boulder continued its path, crashing through a closet before finally stopping at the foot of an 8-year-old boy’s bed. The 8-year old was fine. The 3-year old was crushed to death. [Washington Post, Jan. 6, 2005]
Why should people in Freetown and Berkley be worried that their personal bodily safety and the safety of their farm and domestic animals, cars and homes be jeopardized by flyrock?
Allowing a quarry to operate in a residential neighborhood puts residents at risk for hazards that did not previously exist. No one should be expected to pay property taxes and live with the potential for rocks to suddenly come crashing through their home.
Raymond, NH Scoundrel’s Salon was pelted with rocks after a blast at Raymond Sand and Gravel. Large rocks shattered windows and doors. Large rocks were embedded in walls. “The rocks came through at the level of my head,” said stylist Cilla Clement on WMUR, Channel 9 News.
Stuarts Draft, VA “Construction Worker Hurt in Blasting Accident Dies” A worker suffered a head injury when other workers were blasting at a Target Distribution Center construction project. A 10 to 15-pound rock propelled by the blast struck the worker who was then taken to an Intensive Care Unit via helicopter. He died the next day after undergoing surgery. Other workers said he ran for cover and was behind a van when the rock struck him, piercing his hard hat. [The Richmond Times Dispatch, Richmond, VA]
Braintree, MA “Hitting too Close to Home - Rocks from Blasting Rattle Neighbors” Blasting was being done at a cemetery to create more space for graves. Some rocks from the blast flew nearly800 feet, reaching some private property near the cemetery. A rock, the size of a softball, struck the roof of one of the neighbors’ houses. No one was injured. [Patriot Ledger Quincy, MA]
Appalachia, VA “Boy Killed by Flyrock; Va. Residents Cite Flawed Regs” A boulder crashed through a bedroom wall and onto the bed where a 3 year old boy was sleeping. The huge boulder continued its path, crashing through a closet before finally stopping at the foot of an 8-year-old boy’s bed. The 8-year old was fine. The 3-year old was crushed to death. [Washington Post, Jan. 6, 2005]
Why should people in Freetown and Berkley be worried that their personal bodily safety and the safety of their farm and domestic animals, cars and homes be jeopardized by flyrock?
Allowing a quarry to operate in a residential neighborhood puts residents at risk for hazards that did not previously exist. No one should be expected to pay property taxes and live with the potential for rocks to suddenly come crashing through their home.
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