The owner of a Penfield quarry will pay a penalty of up to $135,000 over an incident in September where a blast sent rocks and debris flying into a town park a quarter-mile away.
Dolomite Products and the state Department of Environmental Conservation agreed on the fine to settle violations stemming from the incident, according to a news release from the agency. The company must pay the DEC $105,000 immediately, while it would pay the rest if it fails to comply with terms of the agreement.
In the release, the DEC said its investigation showed several possible contributing factors to the errant blast: rocks fractured by previous blasting, an undetected "void in the rock," natural angular joints in the rock face, and drill holes.
"A combination of any of these factors can result in a rock mass that is insufficient to contain the energy of the blasting, which could have caused the rock to be propelled beyond the mine into the adjacent park," the release said.
The blast sent 22 rocks flying from the quarry into the nearby Penfield Town Park on Whalen Road, including one 40-pound rock that was flung roughly a quarter-mile from the site, according to the DEC. Nobody was injured but the rocks caused damage to a vehicle, a pickleball court, and a playground.
Dolomite's agreement with the DEC also requires the company to update the blasting plans at each of its eight DEC-permitted quarries to include safety protocols meant to keep rocks from flying during blasting.
