07/09/2008
from the Kennebec Journal
QUESTIONS REMAIN
No complaints from those who switched to Somerset County center
Vote on 1 may hurt some in election
Steeple at center of debate in Whitefield
VETERANS REQUIRE ASSISTANCE: Homelessness takes center stage
J.P. DEVINE: Overcome sadness with hope
BASKETBALL: NBA Hall of Famer Barry doles out advice at Thomas College
HIGH SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY: Maranacook sophomore Mace dominates Class B field
All of today's:
News | Sports
from the Kennebec Journal
from the Morning Sentinel
A year later, families await answers on fatalities
Owner of topless coffee shop on the comeback trail
Officials report cheaper, better service after switch
Two people in critical condition
Young Marines stick to program
Issue of homeless veterans at center stage
GIRLS SOCCER STATE CHAMPIONSHIP: Winslow falls to York in Class B
Bard hits her marathon stride
All of today's:
News | Sports
from the Morning Sentinel
The city previously hewed to state regulations about blasting.
And those regulations, written largely to govern gravel mining in more rural areas, didn't adequately protect property owners in the more urban setting of Augusta, where homes were sited cheek-by-jowl with gravel quarries -- in some cases, within 500 feet of those quarries.
The most important part of the ordinance is that all those within a certain radius of the proposed quarrying and blasting (which can either be short-term for a construction project or longer-term for a gravel pit) must be notified that the blasting will occur.
The ordinance also sets reasonable limits on the blasting to prevent damage to homes and adjacent structures. That kind of notice allows property owners to monitor the effects of the blasting -- something that was hard to do under the state ordinance, which didn't have a stringent notification requirement.
The members of the Blasting Ordinance Committee -- neighborhood members, city officials and gravel miners -- are to be congratulated for their willingness to work together and produce this proposed ordinance.
We hope it is quickly approved by the Augusta City Council.




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