The future of an active stone quarry in Jessup is up in the air after an unfavorable zoning ruling, spurred by outcry from its neighbors.
Since 2005, the Savage Stone Quarry has mined a mineral called Baltimore gabbro, which is used for road beds, riprap and airport runways, by blasting apart chunks of rock in a large open pit, situated between Interstate 95 and Route 1.
But 19 years later, a collection of residents living close to the quarry say they’ve had enough. They believe that the quarry’s sometimes jarring explosions, which occur one to three times each week, are cracking their walls, foundations and driveways, and causing dust to accumulate on their homes, cars and outdoor furniture. And they believe they are owed compensation.
The quarry, though, argues that the cracks cannot be caused by its blasting, since the operation adheres to strict standards for the strength of its explosions. Quarry officials say they are careful to keep dust at bay, frequently misting the rocks with water while they’re harvested and placed into storage piles.
Read the full story in The Baltimore Sun.