Community Corner

No Blasting Violations Took Place Monday at Hanson Quarry, DNR Says

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources said Hanson's blasting operations were within state limits at the time of the seismic event Monday afternoon.

Blasting and quarry operations performed at the Hanson Material Service quarry in McCook were within statutory limits Monday according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), which conducted a two-day inspection following the ground-shaking seismic event that the U.S. Geographic Survey (USGS) blamed on a quarry blast

The IDNR's Office of Mines and Minerals sent out a release Wednesday afternoon at the conclusion of their review of Hanson's blasting records and measurement readings.

“The Office of Mines and Minerals takes the proper handling and use of explosives very seriously. In this instance, our inspection found no violations of state law,” blasting and explosives unit chief Mike Falter said.

Find out what's happening in Western Springswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Illinois state regulations limit vibrations from surface blasting to 1 inch per second at the nearest protected structure, the IDNR's release reads. Measurements taken at the protected structure nearest to the Hanson quarry on Monday showed maximum blast vibrations of .35 inches per second.

The IDNR release states that the seismic event that shook the western suburbs took place seven seconds after Hanson quarry blast. 

Find out what's happening in Western Springswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“Our review of quarry records does show measurement equipment picked up vibrations from a second and separate event approximately seven seconds after the initial blast," Falter said. "What this secondary event was, or what caused it, is outside our regulatory expertise.” 

U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL) said Wednesday that he formally requested that the U.S. Department of Labor and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms begin an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the seismic event.

"Residents of the area deserve some answers," Lipinksi said.

The Village of La Grange released its own statement Wednesday, before the IDNR release went out, saying that La Grange officials and those of neighboring communities had planned to meet with Hanson representatives next week to discuss Monday's seismic event. 

The village statement also stated that Hanson's quarry operations would be halted until that meeting.

For more on the rules that govern quarry blasting, visit the IDNR's website


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Western Springs