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Board highlights large discrepancies between mine reports and pilot seismographs; plans public snapshots and outreach
Summary
Presenter (Miguel) showed side-by-side comparisons where pilot seismographs often read lower or, in some outlier blasts, much higher than mine reports (one delta cited at 833%). Members endorsed producing simple monthly snapshots for public outreach and encouraged using the data in ongoing lawsuits.
The advisory board spent the bulk of its meeting reviewing new data that compares mine-submitted peak particle velocity (PPV) readings with independent pilot-program seismograph readings. The presenter (addressed as Miguel) demonstrated a workflow that extracts PPV values from mine-submitted PDFs, matches them to pilot-program sensor readings, and computes deltas and percent differences.
What the data shows: averages vary by company — some pilot readings are consistently lower, which can be explained in part by sensor distance from blast sites — but the presenter flagged outliers in which the pilot reading exceeded the mine report by large margins (an example in the presentation showed an 833% delta). Board members said averages do not tell the whole story and urged focusing on maximum readings and frequency of discrepancies.
Why it matters: members said the pilot data is independently collected and can be used as evidence in litigation and to build public awareness. Francesca called the report "super super valuable," saying it clearly illustrates discrepancies. Members proposed a pragmatic communications approach: generate one-month snapshot graphics that list specific days and blasts where reported and observed PPV diverge and push those on the Miami Lakes app and social media to encourage residents to file complaints.
Board direction and next steps: the board agreed to prioritize a digestible monthly snapshot and outreach campaign, to pursue expanded membership and HOA presentations, and to maintain the existing automated data-extraction work. Members noted the pilot program was funded at approximately $3 million and emphasized that state agencies have not always acted on pilot findings; the group also discussed the potential to share the data with pro bono attorneys working on the lawsuits.
Quotes from the meeting: Francesca said the comparison work "has taken my number one spot in terms of favorites" and called the automated matching of mine reports to pilot readings "super valuable and super important." The presenter explained the method: "it goes in there, it captures that PPV, it puts it here as 0.05, and then here it goes into the independent seismograph... and then it tells us what PPV they have."
The board set an internal goal to develop a first public-facing monthly snapshot within about six months and instructed staff/presenters to move toward simpler consumer-facing messaging rather than technical diagrams alone.
