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Residents urge DeKalb commissioners to enforce County Powers Act amid quarry dust and blasting complaints
Summary
Public commenters told the commission that the SRM quarry's blasting and daily dust are harming downtown Smithville, that the mayor improperly grandfathered SRM in recent decisions and that Tennessee fugitive-dust rules may be violated. They urged the commission to enforce the County Powers Act and to hold the mayor accountable.
Two residents from District 2 told the DeKalb County Commission they want the County Powers Act enforced and regulatory action against SRM's quarry operations, alleging repeated blasts, daily fugitive dust and near-miss traffic incidents involving company trucks.
Lucas Antoniak, who identified himself as a District 2 resident, criticized the county mayor's decision to grandfather SRM's operation and asked whether a county mayor can "override state and federal requirements." Antoniak said SRM has a history he described as "bad hiring practices" and stated that the company paid what he described as nearly $32,000,000 in punitive damages in a previous case; he urged commissioners to enforce county rules and the County Powers Act rather than accepting the mayor's action.
A second District 2 resident described a recent blast that rattled every jar and window in their house, said the quarry produces dust clouds that drift into downtown, and said the Tennessee fugitive-dust law limits emissions that leave a property. That speaker said they had contacted Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) without success and asked why the county would not take action on behalf of downtown residents.
Speakers asked whether elected officials have the insurance and financial capacity to handle potential liability from future accidents or environmental harm and urged commissioners and the county mayor to enforce existing county and state requirements. No formal enforcement action or motion was recorded in the meeting record; commissioners did not vote on enforcement steps during the session.
