A prohibition on all blasting / earth mining has been in effect in the Town of North Smithfield since 1979 as a way to safeguard the Public Health and Safety of residents. A local quarry business is proposing the North Smithfield Town Council adopt a Zoning Ordinance Amendment that would override the existing prohibition of quarrying in the Town of North Smithfield by creating a zoning overlay district. Since the 1979 earth extraction prohibition, NO ZONE (Residential / Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial, etc.) allows for earth extraction / mining / quarrying. If this Zoning Amendment is adopted, existing and new businesses and developers will have the opportunity to apply for permitting to blast / quarry property within ANY zone in the Town of North Smithfield.

Our Town’s Comprehensive Plan does not support this Zoning Amendment. Adopting this Ordinance would jeopardize our Public Health and Safety in more ways than one. Aside from the absolute noise nuisance of quarrying and the potential residential damage caused by blasting, there are very real environmental implications that we need to be aware of.

The Town of North Smithfield sits over one of the state's largest aquifers, which supplies our region with clean drinking water. Quarrying over our Town's aquifer jeopardizes our water source tremendously. One existing quarry, the Pound Hill Road quarry owned by Pound Hill Realty, LLC., sits over our Town's aquifer recharge zone and, as a result of mining operations, has breached the aquifer. The EPA has also expressed concerns in internal memorandums, shared with our Town Administration, that Pound Hill Realty LLC’s quarry has altered the geography to such an extent that they could be altering the neighboring superfund sites (polluted locations in the United States requiring a long-term response to clean up hazardous material contaminations). Any interference with the Town's superfund sites, over an aquifer, puts our Town's water source in jeopardy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Additionally, blasting and quarrying exposes residents to fugitive dust. Fugitive dust can be dangerous to human health, with effects that range from respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological problems and cancer, dependent upon contaminants. Without proper mitigation, residents will be exposed to fugitive dust during blasting and daily quarrying activities. The Pound Hill Road quarry does NOT regularly follow proper fugitive dust protocol, exposing residents to fugitive dust during blasting and on windy days

 

 

 

 

The Zoning Ordinances we have in place today safeguard our Town from the dangers of blasting and quarrying. Our Comprehensive Plan calls for stricter regulations on existing earth excavation in Town. Adoption of this Zoning Amendment Ordinance opposes our Town's Comprehensive Plan AND the welfare of Town residents.

Please consider attending the following meetings at Town Hall, to show your support against this Zoning Amendment:

• Town Council Public Workshop on Monday, February 10 @ 645pm
• Planning Board meeting on Thursday, February 13 @ 7pm
• Town Council Public Hearing on Tuesday, February 18 @ 645pm (most important!)

Please consider signing our petition at to show your support AGAINST this Zoning Amendment and FOR the Public Health and Safety of our Town.