Quarry in Berkley, MA
-
7/10/2009
Cape Cod Aggregates pruchased land on both sides of the Freetown/Berkley town line for the purpose of creating a quarry that, in it's entirety, would be over 60 acres large and 250 feet deep. A small segment of the quarry is operating in Freetown and the company has plans to extend the quarry into Berkley. This site is surrounded by residential neighborhoods in both towns. My home in Berkley shakes and windows rattle each time they blast down the street from me across the Freetown town line. The explosions are loud and I believe they could be dangerous. The same company recently had a serious flyrock accident at another quarry they operate in West Roxburry. Rocks propelled from explosions can break windows, smash cars and crash through homes causing injury or death. The quarry in Berkley would be operating over an aquifer, pumping the aquifer out of the quarry to mine. This can cause resident's wells to go dry. Wells downgradient of the site can become contaminated with nitrates or benzene. Nitrates starve the body of oxegyn. Benezene cause 17 serious diseases. CCA will be operating a rock crushing plant, causing constant loud noise and releasing particulate matter into the air, creating polution that can result in breathing problems for residents. Sulfides from the quarry can cause asthma. Blasting near homes can release carbon monixide into home basements and radon into residential basements and drinking water wells. There is no public water supply in Berkley - all residents depend on well water. There has been a great increase in the number of large, heavy trucks on residential roads. These roads have no street lights, sidewalks or shoulders. This creates a public safety hazard. The quarry in Berkley would distroy habitat, might have a negative impact on Quaker Brook and the Assonet River and could dry up the wetlands. A heavy industrial operation like this does not belong in a family neighborhood. Already the noise is terriable and the blasting is very troublesome.
Bp | Berkley, MA