SWAMPSCOTT — The town is making changes to the blasting permit requirements for the operator of the Swampscott Quarry, Aggregate Industries (AI).
A draft permit discussed in the Tuesday night meeting of the Earth Removal Advisory Committee (ERAC) includes expanded sections dealing with the problems of dust, noise and vibrations caused by blasting and other operations in the quarry.
If the draft is accepted, the permit will specify that AI must perform dust testing three times yearly to detect certain materials, according to the National Ambient Air Quality Standard. If any substance is detected at amounts above the standard, AI will have to correct this within 90 days and produce a supplemental report within 30 days.
The section dealing with noise requires AI to complete a noise management plan, conduct noise testing three times per year and supply reports on noise data to the Select Board and ERAC. The noise management plan will also include a process for resident complaints.
The draft specifies that AI would be allowed to blast up to 50 times per year, and no more than two times per week, and spells out provisions to allow the town to force suspension of blasts under certain circumstances. AI blasted in the quarry 46 times last year.
ERAC is still reviewing the drafted permit with the help of the select board and Town Counsel, and has not approved any of the changes yet.
The Swampscott Quarry is located on the Swampscott-Salem border and has been the cause of many recent resident complaints due to dust and blasting. AI’s current permit, which expires June 30, was extended unsigned last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and they recently filed for a new annual permit, which must be approved by the select board and Swampscott Fire Department.
In a candidate forum last week, Select Board Chair Peter Spellios called the town’s dealings with the company one of his “biggest regrets” from the six years he has spent on the board, saying that the town would not have let any other business have the impact on residents that the quarry does. He noted a lack of consistency with recording blasts between Swampscott and Salem, lapses in communication with abutters, and obstacles to reporting quality-of-life concerns.
“Aggregate has been a good business but not a good neighbor,” Spellios said. “We have to make sure we figure out how to make them a better neighbor.”