Well, I just completed the tour of the asphalt plant site. When I arrived just after 2 pm I was greeted by T
im B
arletta, H
awbaker's customer service manager. It was a miserable day and he told me that they would be having tours on M
onday. He told me it was
ok to dislike his company, but i should at least have something to eat. I declined as I was not too keen on having what could end up being a meal that ultimately costs me several thousand dollars. So, I began to leave and soon realized M
onday is the same day of the zoning board hearing. I turned around and went back to request a tour.
They summoned a gentleman named J
eff who said he was in charge of the H
azleton quarry and another. He took me in an F150 that had a layer of black dust so thick on the dash that I wondered if the inside of Jeff's lungs look the same way as his dusty dashboard.
In any case, he showed me the earthen berm the company had built. I still hear the noise, so obviously it
doesn't work. All of the breaker chutes rise higher than the berm stands so it is impossible for it to block all the noise.
He had a worker he called mountain demonstrate a new backup alarm which sounds like static from a snowy
TV station. However, i still hear traditional backup alarms, so there is still equipment back there that has them. Also, when the
triaxles begin to roll through there for the asphalt plant, they will all have traditional backup alarms.
Jeff took the fifth when I asked as to whether or not I would be able to smell asphalt once the mixing starts, stating he was the breaker guy not an asphalt guy. That
wasn't very reassuring to me.
He also
relucted to answer whether the breakers would run at night, but did mention that the operation had no restrictions. Again, that
wasn't very reassuring.
I did not get to see the breaker running as it had broken down this morning. He did point out the water sprayer on the top of the chutes which are meant to keep the dust minimal. They weren't running and it was raining anyhow, so i didn't get to see how well they work.
He pointed out that some portions of the metal breakers had been covered with rubber to cover the noise. I still hear the process at home so i question its effectiveness.
After the tour, I still neglect to see any real benefits for local residents. Masking and reducing problems do not qualify as benefits.
In conclusion, i was opposed to the construction of this asphalt plant before the tour and remain so now. I believe we will continue realize a reduction in the quality of our lives. Probably even more so when the plant is constructed. We will hear more noise. We will hear it even during the evening and night hours. We will probably smell asphalt burning. We will deal with more dust. We will deal with truck traffic. We will worry about and maybe acquire health problems.
There are too many residences too near the
proposed site for this monstrosity. Put it somewhere remote, where it wont affect so many people so profoundly.
