SWAMPSCOTT — Amid an ongoing lawsuit between the company and town, the Select Board extended Aggregate Industries’ earth removal permit for 120 days to continue their operations at the Swampscott Quarry.
Despite its name, the quarry is located in both Swampscott and Salem. It has been in various states of operation for over 100 years. In addition to following federal and state regulations, Aggregate Industries must receive an earth removal permit from Swampscott each year.
At its regular meeting Wednesday, the Select Board assigned Jay Perkins of Brierley Associates to oversee the next annual review of the company’s operations. The board also approved the company’s use of Tech. Environmental consultants for required dust and noise testing that will take place by the end of 2022.
“One of the most important regulatory responsibilities we have as a town is to manage the impacts of a mining operation,” Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald said. “I am pleased that we continue to have good and thoughtful conversations about how we work together. I think there are opportunities for us to continue to look at these standards and find ways that we can manage the impact in the long term.”
The 120-day permit extension comes amid an ongoing lawsuit between the company and the town. Aggregate Industries filed a civil-rights complaint against the Town of Swampscott and its Select Board last year. It claimed a board member’s personal bias against the company impacted the board’s actions regarding an earth removal permit it granted the company in 2021.
Fitzgerald said in an attempt to address community complaints regarding the company’s excavation blasts, the town also set a 0.5 peak particle velocity, or PPV, standard last year. PPV is a common indicator for predicting blast disturbance levels. This year, the company has carried out 32 blasts, two of which exceeded the 0.5 PPV standard.
“That has mitigated a number of those complaints and really has worked,” Fitzgerald said. “I frankly want to recognize Aggregate for, for the most part, complying with that and helping us really support a standard that is protecting and supporting our neighborhoods and our families.”
Earth Removal Advisory Commission Chair John Picariello said the new standard has significantly reduced the number of resident complaints. Picariello recommended the board approve Tech. Environmental to conduct dust and noise testing this fall, but also suggested another environmental consulting firm conduct testing in the spring. He said Tech. Environmental has done testing at the quarry for as long as he could remember and it would be beneficial to have a fresh set of eyes conduct a review.
Aggregate Industries’ northeast operations manager Tanya Taylor said the company will likely receive new equipment in the spring of next year to help improve its operations overall.
“The equipment will be newer, more efficient, and safer,” Taylor said. “In terms of the noise and the dust requirements, we are looking to achieve something that is at or better than we are currently doing.”
Rachel Barber can be reached at [email protected].
