By Eileen Buckley
Cheektowaga, NY – Buffalo Crushed Stone has been the center of controversy in a Cheektowaga neighborhood for last couple of years. But now the company is making an attempt to reach out to the community. For the first time ever, Buffalo Crushed Stone offered the media a tour of the quarry off Como Park.
The Como Park quarry in the Bellevue neighborhood was established in 1929 -- originally known as Cheektwoaga Crushed Stone. It's 219-acres of limestone divided into an east and west quarry.
"We're standing on a layer of rock. A 145 foot layer of limestone. The name of the formation is the Onondaga," said Gary Nelson, quality control manager. This is named after Onondaga Lake."
Nelson says the quarry is one of two rock formations in Western New York that is "suitable" in the production of crushed stone. Large chunks of rocks are blasted out of sections of the quarry. The rocks are moved by loaders and dump trucks then poured into a shifters and transported to stone crushing machines.
But the dust and noise from the process has outraged residents. In July 2000, New Enterprise Stone and Lime purchased Buffalo Crushed Stone in the midst of a citizens campaign against the quarry operations. The Cheektowaga Citizens Coalition says its goal is to shut down the Como Park quarry.
"People need crushed stone and we need asphalt, but the production of both of those items are very harmful to the health of the community around them," said Donna Hosmer, president of the Cheektowaga Citizens Coalition. "So they need to move their facilities out away from homes, churches, schools, Hospice and a nursing home. This is no place for them to be blasting and putting silica crystals in the air we breath."
Many Bellevue residents complain of quarry dust, the smell of rotten eggs from hydrogen sulfide and truck traffic. They're concerned of potential health risks. Hosmer says there are clusters of auto-immune diseases.
The New York State Health Department completed studies of cancer, asthma and other respiratory troubles in response to residents living near the quarry. There were high rates of uterine cancer in women and higher rates of asthma among children detected. But in April, the Health Department said it found "no unusual patterns" of cancer or asthma for residents living in Bellevue.
Steven Detwiler, president of Buffalo Crushed Stone, says since acquiring the company they have been working to "respond to concerns" of residents. Detwiler says they've cleared the air of the rotten egg smell. Standing along the edge of the quarry Tuesday, during the tour, there was no smell.
"We came in and wanted to correct it," Detwiler said. "We looked at the technology available and implemented them. Some were pretty easy and we solved the problem."
Donna Hosmer admits the order in the air has improved, but says it is not gone. Some Bellevue residents also complain that rock blasting at the site is disruptive, occurring at odd hours, and causes homes to rattle. But Detwiler says the company does not conduct night time or weekend rock blasting. And he says blasting levels are safe for nearby homes.
"We don't blast at night time. Yet, we get complaints that we blast at night time. We don't blast on Saturdays and we get complaints that we blast on Saturdays," Detwiler said. "There's a railroad yard and a lot of things that play into it. We typically blast during the week before eleven or after one."
This Saturday a blast will occur. But it will be a demonstration for the public. Buffalo Crushed Stone will host a "Quarry Day" at the Como Park quarry. There will be guided tours. Detwiler says the company wants to educate the public on its daily operations. But again, Donna Hosmer says she believes the tours are only an attempt to "put blinders" on the actual problems in the neighborhood.
Detwiler says he hopes residents are pleased with the changes, but they still are receiving a few complaints. Hosmer, who lives near the Como Park quarry, says the blasting seems to be more intense.
"I believe they are blasting on the outer rim of the quarry and that creates a greater vibration toward in my home," Hosmer said. "Last week I was standing in my kitchen and the pipes underneath our kitchen sink started to rattle together."
Hosmer says the company is following outdated Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) rules. She says the Citizens Coalition is working with the DEC and state Health Department to get the laws changed.
The company says it also working to address citizens concerns of dust. It has installed a high-tech dust control system. Jamie Hypnarowski, senior vice president, says they are working to improve the air quality.
"Basically the system utilizes water which is recirculated from the quarry," Hypmarowski explained. "Water that is generated through rain and ground water. We add a biodegradable solution to it. That's added on to our stone product going up the conveyor belt. Really what that dust is mitigate and knock down any dust that we have."
A blast on Tuesday cut through a huge section of rock that dropped 13,000 tons of stone. The blasts last only one second in length. The company says it conducts 60 to 70 blasts a year.
The quarry is opened eight to nine months out of the year, part of the seasonal construction industry. But company leaders say Buffalo Crushed Stone provides good paying jobs for local 250 construction workers at its facilities in the region.