Quarry opponents blast developers
Developers' promises could not allay fears of Mayflower residents Thursday night, when the two groups met to discuss a proposed rock quarry.
The air became heated at the Mayflower First Baptist Church, where a crowd gathered to debate the issue.
"I'm concerned about our property values," said Randy Rankin, one Mayflower resident. "We moved our here for peace and quiet. I work the third shift, so I'm sleeping when your proposed hours will be, and I'm a quarter mile from the site. We moved for peace and quiet, not to hear blasting."
His fears were echoed by other residents, who were also concerned with how the quarry would affect the condition of the area's roads and water.
"My parents moved our here in 1986," said Nancy Hughes, who added that her family members had to deal with ramifications from the previous rock quarry. "Every time they blasted, my parents had muddy, dirty water, and they had to spend their own money to buy water."
One resident said his concerns about dust could directly affect his family's health. "I've got a 9-year-old daughter who's got a bad case of asthma who can't breathe hardly," he said.
The two developers Kenneth George and Richard Carl tried to soothe tensions, claiming they would follow all the guidelines set out by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality. As for the road concerns, George said, "We don't control what the county does.
Confusion became apparent when Carl mentioned the possibility of blasting after reaching 5 or 6 feet, what he said was the original depth of the quarry. However, George stepped in to clarify, saying that they would actually go down to about 16 feet if rock was found below the original depth.
Residents protested, arguing again that the blasting would affect their wells and homes.
"As the quarry owner, if I should cause damage to a house because of my quarry efforts, I would be responsible," George said.
The quarry developers tried to put a positive spin on the quarry, saying the rock was to help people in New Orleans affected by Hurricane Katrina.
However, residents remained unmoved. "I understand there's a crisis in New Orleans, but there's other places to get rock," said Sam Smiley.