Kennewick halts blasting for new housing development. But for how long?

Blasting has been halted near a south Kennewick neighborhood, but likely not for long.

The Kennewick City Council has adopted a temporary measure to require a city permit for blasting, including the project that started this winter to shatter basalt to allow burial of utilities and grading of land for the second phase of the South Hills Estate project.

Residents of the adjoining neighborhood say the blasting is not only rattling their nerves, but damaging their houses. They have seen cracks develop in their homes, including in foundations, since the blasting began, they said.

Barnes Inc., the Lewiston, Idaho, company doing the blasting is meeting state requirements, said Ryan Burnham, an explosives inspector for Washington state Department of Labor and Industries.

But cities are allowed to pass more stringent requirements.

The council had the option of placing an emergency moratorium to halt all blasting in the city, but instead moved forward with a new permitting system that would allow blasting near Canyon Lakes and Heights at Canyon Lakes neighborhoods if the blasting company can get a permit approved.

An estimated two to three weeks of blasting is planned for the South Hills Estate project.

The new permitting system was adopted for up to six months, but the council can choose to make it permanent.

The new requirement is intended to provide city fire officials with a way to monitor the current blasting activities while still allowing developer Ron Asmus to proceed with plans for his property, city officials said.

A public hearing is planned at 6:30 p.m. April 21 at City Hall, and the council could decide then to make changes to the blasting permit requirements.

The new city regulation requires blasting companies to submit a blasting plan, a transportation plan for blasting materials, a traffic control plan and a plan for notification of neighbors for blasting operations.

Cracks appeared in houses

The notification of neighbors also requires inspection of their property before and after blasting.

Those requiring notification would be determined by the city fire marshal, using a formula that considers distance of the blast from homes or businesses and the possible power of each planned blast.

The new regulation requires a bond of at least $25,000 and proof of insurance covering claims for injury and property damages.

Asmus said he did not want to blast, but two large backhoes could not move rock at his development.

He has offered to fix the sheetrock cracks in neighbors’ homes, which city and state law does not require. Insurance also covers issues homeowners may have, he said.

Barnes Inc. was concerned that the city had no blasting ordinance when work began, but has done its best to do a good job, said Larry Schwartz of the blasting company.

The company surveyed the closest structures before blasting began and did additional surveys as requested, he said.

State and federal standards for blasting are adequate, he said. Kennewick has adopted the International Fire Code, which contains provisions related to blasting.

“We should not be punished because there is no (city) code,” he told the city council at its most recent meeting. “We did nothing wrong.”

People living near the blasting have been to three council meetings and workshops to complain about the blasting and have submitted a petition signed by 88 requesting the city stop the blasting.

Kevin Tucker, who lives on Reed Street, said when the first blast went off a large picture fell off his wall.

“I thought I was in an earthquake,” he said.

He estimates that he now has 350 to 400 feet of cracks in his shop and 100 feet of cracks in his house. There were no cracks before the blasting started, he said.

The city has begun to work with Barnes on the permit process that is expected to allow it to continue blasting with new restrictions.

This story was originally published March 8, 2020 at 12:44 PM.