La Grange Official Questions Mine's Basis For Blasting

LA GRANGE, IL – Since last fall, La Grange Trustee Beth Augustine has been increasingly critical of the blasting at a quarry in neighboring McCook.

At Monday's Village Board meeting, Augustine questioned the federal study on which she said Heidelberg Materials, formerly Hanson Aggregates, relies on for its explosions.

The study is on surface mine blasting, not the subsurface mining that Heidelberg started a few years ago locally.

Augustine said the 1980 study is based on data from the 1960s and 1970s and does not say where its research took place. It is from an agency that closed its doors in the mid-1990s.

Augustine called for a new study.

"We need to understand the area better, so we will be calling on (Heidelberg) to look into this with us," she said. "It would seem irresponsible not to do this."

She promised to say something about the issue at every board meeting. The blasting, she said, is disturbing residents and damaging houses.

She also touted a 3-year-old Facebook page for residents concerned about the issue.

"It's a great place to get plugged in if you feel the blasts," Augustine said. "We are organizing and getting together some ideas on how to proceed."

Trustee Lou Gale said after the village gathers more information, it should add the imprint of the Village Board in calling for a study.

In response, Heidelberg spokesman Jeff Sieg noted the research from the long-defunct agency.

"Heidelberg Materials strives to be a good neighbor, and we are committed to operating in a safe and responsible manner at our Federal Quarry in McCook," Sieg said in an email. "We make every attempt to minimize any impacts from our operations to our neighbors. Our blasting is designed to be below the established threshold to prevent damage to any nearby structures per the guidelines established by the U.S. Bureau of Mines."

Sieg said the bureau's guidance is based on extensive research and is still the accepted standard used to assess the effects of ground vibration from blasting on residential structures. It also serves as the basis for most state-specific regulations related to blasting, including in Illinois, he said.