Ad hoc committee endorses Aggregate Industries 2024 report; calls for added noise and groundwater monitoring
Summary
An ad hoc committee reviewed and unanimously accepted Aggregate Industries' 2024 annual report, noted a drop in blasting events, and recommended expanding noise mitigation and groundwater-sampling timing.
The Peabody City Council received a unanimous recommendation from its Ad Hoc Committee on Aggregate Industries to accept Aggregate Industries' 2024 annual report and to adopt five committee recommendations aimed at improving monitoring and community notifications.
Committee chair Councilor Higgins summarized the meeting and the committee's unanimous vote to accept the report. The committee heard from city staff including Sharon Cameron of the Health Department and Bill Stanfield from Engineering, who reviewed noise, air and water quality testing and reported compliance with the special permit and Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection standards.
The committee noted a reduction in blasting events from 19 in 2024 to a planned seven in 2025. The subcommittee's recommendations, brought forward to the full council, included: updating the pre-blast property-survey notification language to ensure homeowners receive survey copies; additional noise-mitigation efforts to avoid exceedances of the 10 dB increase-over-background limit at any point; continued groundwater sampling in spring when groundwater tables are higher; twice-yearly noise monitoring in spring and fall while the facility is operating; and strict adherence to the 2002 special-permit conditions.
Councilors voted to receive and approve the subcommittee report and recommendations by roll call.
