By Jeffrey D. Wagner
THE HERALD NEWS
Posted Mar 08, 2009 @ 10:03 PM
Freetown — A long-awaited pre-blast survey conducted by Cape Cod Aggregates at a Bryant Street quarry operation went well, according to a CCA spokesperson and a town selectwoman. Delayed from December, CCA conducted a pre-blast survey at approximately 1 p.m. Friday.
CCA spokesperson Greg O’Brien said Friday’s test blasting helped CCA determine the soil and rock conditions to ensure “the most efficient and safest production work in the spring.”
O’Brien said fire chiefs in Berkley and Lakeville witnessed the blast, as did Freetown Selectwoman Jean C. Fox, Berkley Selectwoman Julie Taylor and Freetown Health Agent-Building Inspector Paul Bourgeois.
“The test was successful in every way. We also had the test, as required, closely monitored by seismographic indicators that were placed through the neighborhood and the area measuring vibrations and noise. And we were below the state thresholds for vibration and noise,” he said.
Taylor could not be reached for comment, but Fox said on Saturday that she was impressed with the operation.
“In every respect, I was extremely impressed with the level of security and the process they had in place,” Fox said. “In terms of the actual blast, it was really uneventful. I was in the second floor of a building, and I was not outside for safety reasons.”
Fox said Bourgeois and the two fire chiefs were outside during the blast. She reports that when the blast finally went off, she felt the vibrations for only an instant in her feet.
“I saw rocks go up but no dust. I was amazed and I thought it was well-orchestrated,” she said.
Fox equated the operation to the type of equipment used in major cities such as New York City to blow open streets without shaking any of the nearby buildings. She said this technology, which CCA currently employs, was used during the cleanup after Sept. 11.
“They had four or five seismographs on site; the impact was absolutely minimal,” she said. “I was very impressed. Both Julie and I have agreed to liaise with our respective citizenry. … The company is working very hard to make sure the neighbors are content with (the project).”
Three residents in the area were telephoned by The Herald News on Saturday but could not be reached for comment.
Fox said more than 40 people were invited to the pre-blast on Friday but less than half attended.
Both Fox and O’Brien said the remaining production blasts should have less of noise and vibration impact because they will be conducted underground.
In December, neighbors had voiced concerns to the Freetown Board of Selectmen about the blasting. In response to their concerns, O’Brien said the company has gone beyond state and federal mandates for this type of work.
He said for the pre-blast survey, homes 250 feet from the site were supposed to be surveyed, but the company has expanded the survey to homes 2,000 feet from the site.
However, neighbors argued that the 24-acre quarry still poses other threats, including environmental and health threats — especially considering that residents in the area are reliant on well water from a local aquifer.
In 2007, the quarry was approved to process raw earth materials, like sand and rock. These materials will be crushed and washed and then used as aggregates.
There is a separate proposed quarry operation in Berkley, which CCA postponed in 2008. CCA said it plans on reviewing the proposed Berkley operation further to alleviate any potential concerns.