Those who live adjacent to a quarry operation in Huntsville expressed growing frustration with the Limestone County Commission Monday because the blasting has not stopped.

Residents in neighborhoods off Gray and Newby roads have implored commissioners to do what they can to stop the blasting at the Rogers Group quarry off Gray Road, but commissioners again said they were powerless to do anything. The quarry is within Huntsville-annexed Limestone and the residents are not.

Many of those who spoke at a March 20 meeting were back again Monday. Many of the same concerns were raised regarding fears over damage being caused to houses from the blasts. Some residents, like Holly Denenny, simply wanted answers to questions.

She questioned District 2 Commissioner Steve Turner and District 3 Commissioner Jason Black about what they felt during a blast at the quarry last month. Both had stated in a report in The News Courier that they had felt nothing during a blast at the quarry and what they heard sounded like distant thunder.

Denenny said she awoke Monday morning to the sound of distant thunder from a thunderstorm but the sound did not shake her home like the blasts from the quarry. She also blames the blasting operations for migraine headaches she’s having. She doesn’t know if they are from the increased pressure from the blasts or from the stress of dealing with the issue.

“This is our lives, our homes, our safety and peace of mind you are dismissing,” she told commissioners.

Denenny’s husband, Marvin Denenny, pointed out that many of the people being affected by the blasting are living in homes valued at $200,000 or more. He said the county should be more willing to help considering the county if funded through ad valorem taxes.

“There is a correlation between when a gravel pit is put in and decreasing property values,” he said. “The least the commission can do is protect our property value and safety of our children and neighbors.”

Brian Brown told commissioners he was “upset and outraged” by what’s happening in his neighborhood. He said he used to love mornings, but not now.

He asked why there was so little communication between the commission and the city of Huntsville regarding this issue. Turner said he knew nothing about the city’s plans to blast at the site.

“You have no communication going on?” Brown asked. “All these things add up in our hearts and minds about you representing us.”

Commissioners sought to explain how rules that apply in Huntsville don’t apply in Limestone County. Commission Chairman Mark Yarbrough said there are six municipalities in the county and the commission has no power to tell those municipalities what to do.

“The property owner (of the quarry) chose to be annexed in 2007,” said District 2 Commissioner Steve Turner, who represents the upset homeowners. “Huntsville zoned it to get it to this situation.”

Road concerns

Blasting isn’t the residents’ only concerns, however. They say the tri-axle trucks going in and out of the quarry are damaging roads. Denenny asked why trucks could not exit the quarry onto Huntsville-Browns Ferry Road and stay off Gray and Newby roads. She asked why the commission would not put weight restrictions on Gray Road that were enacted in 2011, but were then rescinded following the April 27 tornado outbreak.

Danny Barksdale cited a court battle between the town of Gurley in Madison County and M&N Materials, which sought to open a quarry in the town. Barksdale asked the commission at Wednesday’s work session what could be done about imposing a weight limit on Gray and Newby roads to prevent tri-axle trucks from using them.

In his comments to commissioners, Barksdale cited U.S. District Judge Lynwood Smith’s decision to throw out a lawsuit filed by M&N against Gurley on the premise the city’s leadership was justified in its cited concerns about public health and safety.

“ … I’m pretty sure we can weight limit a road to protect the health and welfare of our citizens,” he said.

He criticized a comment Turner made Wednesday about why he would not be in favor of imposing a weight limit on Gray or Newby roads because it would unfairly target the Rogers Group. Turner said the commission has supported free trade and Rogers Group had not asked the commission for a dime.

“Other than a feeble attempt at an excuse for supporting Rogers Group, this has absolutely nothing to do with free trade and everything to do with Mr. Turner’s lack of willingness to protect the people of District 2,” Barksdale said. “We know one thing … he doesn’t care as much about the citizens of District 2 as the city of Gurley does about its citizens.”

Holly Denenny presented the commission with a list of seven questions she and her neighbors want answered. Turner said he would provide answers to her as soon as possible and asked that she would share those with other concerned residents.