Alton suspends blasting at Green Oaks quarry after rock debris lands in driveway; state and federal agencies investigating
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Summary
On Sept. 24 a blast at Green Oaks' Sunco(n)ook Valley Road quarry sent rock debris as far as 1,855 feet; the fire department suspended further blasting, the blaster's permit was pulled, and the town is awaiting state police and MSHA reports.
Alton’s fire department reported that a blasting event on Sept. 24 at the Green Oaks (Green Oaks Realty Development LLC) quarry on Suncooke/Suncook Valley Road sent debris into the community, including a chunk of rock found in a driveway on Coffin Brook Road. The fire chief said the vendor was Heath Hathaway Drilling and Blasting LLC.
The chief told the board he responded to reports after a scheduled 1:15 p.m. blast, confirmed rock fragments in a residential driveway about 1,855 feet from the blast location, and visited the quarry to inspect conditions. He said he observed fresh rock on internal quarry roads and that an on‑site loader operator told him the blaster had already left the site.
The town reported the blaster’s permit for that vendor was pulled the same day and the fire department suspended any further blasting at the site pending investigation. The town has notified the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and the New Hampshire State Police, both of which are investigating. The chief said he has requested MSHA’s report but that a federal government shutdown has delayed MSHA’s final report; the state police investigation is also pending.
The chief said investigators are reviewing seismograph and charge data the blaster submitted; preliminary observations suggest missteps in hole depth or tamping (plugging) and/or excessive charge in the blast that may have caused material to eject farther than intended. The chief said the quarry operator inspects the site twice a year and that the town expects state and federal authorities to determine if licensing or operational violations occurred. The town told the board it will refrain from further permitting at the site until investigations conclude and any corrective requirements are met.
The chief recommended that town policy be updated to require broader notification to residents and town departments when a blasting permit is issued; at present the fire department does not have a standard public-notification policy for blasting permits. The board asked staff to pursue policy options and to report back after state and federal investigators issue findings.
