BESSEMER CITY, N.C. — Homeowners in a Bessemer City neighborhood said blasting at a nearby quarry is damaging their homes
One home on Windwood Avenue near the John E. Jenkins Plant had cracks in the bricks.
The company told Eyewitness News reporter Ken Lemon their blasting isn't breaking the rules.
State officials said a shock wave has to move faster than one foot per second before it can cause structural damage to a home.
The manager of the plant nearby said their blasts are well below that standard, but resident Raymond Burr said if that's the case, why does he have noticeable cracks in his home?
"See that crack right there?" Burr said.
He believes it comes from blasts at the plant on Delta Street.
He knows the company has a permit to blast to provide materials for construction.
"I have a right to live in my home in peace," Burr said.
He and his neighbors said about once a month, that peace is disrupted when plant workers set charges like the one last week.
"There was great big old boom," resident Scott Wilson said. "Had some pictures on a rack and a couple of them fell off, and the table will rattle."
Burr believes the vibrations threaten the homes in the neighborhood.
"I've been here since 1970 and I don't want to move no place else," Burr said.
He wants them to make the blasts less intense.
The plant manager had data that indicates they are well below state standards for vibrations.
He said that according to state research, it's not physically possible to cause damage to the homes.
The company that measures shock waves for the blasting company measured the impact of the shock in Burr's yard on Wednesday.
The readings were below state standards.
The plant manager offered to come back if neighbors had more concerns.
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