Clay County residents press commissioners to halt I Decker quarry expansion over blasting, road and property damage

A group of Clay County residents asked the Clay County Commission on Thursday to press state regulators and the city of Mosby to investigate underground blasting and damage from the nearby I Decker rock quarry and to pause operations while officials gather more information.

Nathaniel Beagley, a resident of 13716 Cameron Road, told commissioners he can feel and hear repeated blasts and described damage to houses, roads and private wells. “These explosions are not small. These explosions are shaking the entire house,” Beagley said, adding that sinkholes have reappeared along Cameron Road and that a petition opposing the expansion includes more than 600 signatures.

Why it matters: Residents said blasting and heavy truck traffic are damaging foundations, creating sinkholes and creating traffic and safety risks on Highway 69 and Cameron Road. They asked Clay County to use whatever political and legal leverage it has — including asking the city of Mosby to pause annexation and quarry activity — while state mining regulators and county staff verify whether underground mining has encroached onto county property.

What commissioners heard and asked - Commissioner Joanne Lawson, who brought the item forward, told the panel she had met with residents and wanted the county to respond: “I felt that they really had the right to come talk to us about their concerns,” Lawson said. She asked staff to gather…