Blasting. Over the summer, residents heard and felt a series of blasts coming from the general area of the project site. This turned out to be a prank- a group of individuals were using tannerite to get a reaction from the community. These blasts could be heard and felt through the entire community of Upham, as well as Upperton, Titusville, and Barnsville. These blasts had ample tree-buffering, yet their effects were still greatly felt and heard through a large area. I would argue these blasts, (not done by professionals), would be at a much lesser extent than quarry blasting- how effective will your tree buffer actually be, if we've already experienced, heard, and felt, blasting, on a smaller scale, with a very large tree buffer?

Hammond River Holdings is unaware of the conditions surrounding any blasting activity in the area over the summer of 2018, and as such we are unable to comment specifically on the impact of those blasts.  Modern blasting techniques used by licensed explosives contractors (as will be used for this Project) do not typically result in off-site impacts.  A direct comparison of impacts from unqualified individuals in uncontrolled conditions is challenging, if not impossible. As outlined in the EIA Registration, pre-blast surveys will be conducted prior to quarrying gypsum, residents will be notified of the blasting schedule, and blasts will be monitored with seismographs to ensure that noise and vibration levels do not exceed the safe limits established for those levels. 

It is also important to remember that, in addition to the tree buffer that currently exists between the Project site and neighbouring residents, blasting activities will be carried out within the open pit, at depth, and the pit walls will provide some buffering of noise (as compared to activities on the ground surface at the same elevation as receptors).