Blasting Regulations Explained

The Cell Signaling Technology project up at the old quarry near the MAC is making its way through the permitting process. Preliminary earth work has begun, including some test blasting which started last week. 

Blasting is a highly regulated activity both at the state and local level.  This article will shed some light on blasting oversight, including regulations, best practices, and safeguards employed here in Manchester. The Massachusetts Department of Fire Services, Division of Fire Safety administers 527 CMR 1.00 which is the regulation that applies to explosive licensing, permitting, storage, sales, use, transportation, and manufacturing. They are only one of many agencies, others include Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Department of Transportation (DOT), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

The Manchester Fire Department is the local entity that issues the Permit to Blast. These permits are not issued lightly.  

As Fire Chief, I ensure that conditions of 527 CMR 1.00 have been met, including but not limited to checking the Blaster’s Licenses, looking for any previous actions taken upon the blaster or blasting company as well as reviewing the blasting plan. One condition the Fire Department sets on all permits is that a Fire Department Detail (a member trained in Blasting Details) is present from when explosives arrive on the construction site until they are secured and removed.

Good things to know about blasting include:

• The Blaster must sound warnings when ready to fire the blast
• Limits are set on vibration and noise and are monitored by using a meter called a seismograph
• If a property owner thinks that damage occurred as a result of blasting, they should file a regulatory review form with the fire department within 30 days of the blasting. This form can be found on our website.
• Property Owners should take a close look at their home or business. You may be surprised at how many cracks in walls, floors, and ceilings already exist just from seasonal changes in humidity, age, and normal wear and tear. Most property owners don’t notice these cracks until after blasting has started and mistake them for blasting damage.
• The vibration and noise limits outlined in 527 CMR 1.00 are extremely conservative and are below the threshold of where damage is known to occur.
• The foundation is the strongest part of a house. Vibration standards are designed to protect the weakest parts of the house, such as plaster and drywall. Ground vibrations strong enough to crack foundations consisting of concrete and masonry would far exceed the limits set by typical standards.
• The U.S. Bureau of Mines published RI 8507 in 1987 detailing what happens to a home as a result of ground vibration from surface mine blasting. The study concluded that typical human activity such as slamming a door or pounding a nail into a wall creates strains in a residence well in excess of those corresponding to typical low-level blast vibrations.
• Records are kept for each blast and they contain the size, time and location of the blast including the amount of explosives used. These records are checked by the fire department and kept on file.

A little information specific to the CST Blasting that has occurred so far: Seismographs have been placed on a few properties on Mill St as well as the MAC on Atwater Ave and the Brady Property on Beaver Damn Road.  All structures within a 250-foot radius of the blast site have been afforded the opportunity of a Pre-Blast Survey. The readings have been as follows:

• Mill Street seismographs are set at 0.007 to trigger readings.
  • No readings have been triggered concluding no vibrations have exceeded the low level and are far below the .5 in/sec low safe levels.
  • Readings at both the MAC and Brady properties are 0.097 and 0.065 which are also well below the lowest threshold of 0.5

These readings compare quite favorably to daily activities:

• Front door slam = 0.15-1.9 in/sec
• Auto traffic   0.04-0.20 in/sec

The Manchester Fire Department is steadfast in its pursuit to provide a safe and healthy community, and this doesn’t waiver when it comes to blasting.  I as your Fire Chief have personally been following and interacting with the public, their concerns, monitoring blasts/readings, and will continue to do so throughout this project.  The blasting portion of this project will continue through August with an estimated one blast per day, Monday through Friday this is subject to change.  

I will continue to work with residents, Cell Signaling Technologies and Maine Drilling & Blasting to ensure this project can move forward safely and meet the expectation of all involved.

If you have concerns, you can contact the Manchester Fire Department at fireprevention@manchester.ma.us or by calling 978-526-4040. Cell Signaling Technology has offered to answer any questions or address any concerns people may have about the project.  For more information about the project or to contact a company representative you can visit CSTOldQuarry.com.