Preventing the Potentially Deadly Consequences of Flyrock: Mandatory Minimum Setbacks and Separation Distances Required

Abstract

Detonation of explosives is the principal method used in extracting rock in a quarry operation, and leads to a number of adverse effects on the environment and its inhabitants. The engineers associated with aggregate industry and its explosives have been remarkably successful in concealing from the public, including land use planners, mortgage lenders, real estate brokers, real estate appraisers, etc., the existence and danger of flyrock, which is the ultimate adverse effect of a blasting quarry operation, and a significant health and safety issue. Flyrock is an unavoidable and unpredictable by-product of blasting rock, and because of the way in which flyrock is defined or characterized varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction the incidence or frequency of flyrock is understated and underreported. Flyrock has the potential to damage personal and real property, and to injure, disable permanently or kill human and non-human life. The purpose of this research paper is to create public awareness of flyrock, to dispel the notion that flyrock can be eliminated by the use of empirical formulae, and to support the argument that the only effective remedy to protect the environment and health and safety of onsite quarry employees and offsite third parties is by way of permanent onsite setbacks and offsite separation distances.