Weekly Column: New Rules Needed for Residential Blasting

March 21, 2007

Part of the American Dream has always been to own your own home. In Maine, we are fortunate to have one of the highest homeownership rates in the country making us a big part of that tradition.

Of course owning a home brings a lot of responsibility with it, but also a tremendous amount of pride. For many, homeownership is also a place where families can come together, for others it is the perfect sanctuary away from the daily grind of work and the troubles of the world.

Imagine then coming home to your sanctuary, the place you call home, to endure thunderous explosive jolts passing through your house. The explosive rattling is not the result of some secret test project by the government, but rather a blasting quarry or construction project nearby. A problem like the one just described recently came to my attention by some residents of the Grandview neighborhood in Augusta.

For many residents of Grandview who have lived in the same neighborhood for 32 years and had a relatively peaceful co-existence, the recent blasting has been the source of great frustration. When many moved onto the street years ago, they never dreamed that a small gravel pit nearby them along the Kennebec River would cause them so many headaches. Frequent blasting from the gravel pit shakes the foundations of many Grandview houses has severely impacted the quality of life for our friends and neighbors living there.

Because of the ongoing blasting, Grandview neighbors face ongoing damage to all facets of their homes including septic systems, wells, windows, and the basic structural integrity of their homes over time.

When I heard about this problem from several Grandview neighbors who pointed out that the gravel pit has been growing and growing and is now within 850 feet of their neighborhood, I quickly discovered that our current blasting rules and laws are very weak and do little to protect the rights of residential homeowners.

While I understand the business interest of the gravel pit, we must also look out for the interests of neighborhoods like Grandview. Earlier this week, I presented a bill to the Legislature’s Natural Resources Committee that would create tougher regulations for blasting near residential neighborhoods. One of the biggest components of the bill would provide new protections for homes in urban areas such as requiring natural buffer strips. The bill would also call for better documentation and standards for the intensity of the blasting itself.

Some might simply ask the question, “If the neighbors want a better lifestyle, then they should just move?” That may solve the problem for one neighbor, but it does not solve the problem for everyone in Grandview or other communities around our state where problems like this creep up. Conversely, I am sure the Grandview neighbors would like to see the gravel pit disappear, but that is unlikely to happen. I believe we can achieve common ground in matters like these through increased respect for our neighbors, and when it is needed, we new regulations can help guarantee that respect.

The ultimate goal of the bill I sponsored, LD 895, is to ensure and create a respectable relationship between blasters and neighbors. At the same time, it is my hope to help homeowners near those blasting areas maintain a safe and acceptable quality of life so that they can continue to realize their American dream.

Libby Mitchell is the Senate Majority Leader in the Maine Senate. She represents the communities of Augusta, Vassalboro, China, Oakland, and Sidney for District 24.