Letter: Vulcan Quarry explosions need to stop disturbing the peace

For over four hours, on each of two separate days, our home and farm has been violently shaken by explosions at the Vulcan Materials quarry at the corner of Airport and Barber Greene Roads in Sycamore.

The Daily Chronicle reported that these were “controlled” disposals of old explosives by the Kane County bomb squad, on the private property of the now shuttered Vulcan quarry. The Chronicle also noted that many residents who inquired about the explosions, some hearing them as far away as Genoa, seemed relieved to learn that the explosions were planned, in spite of the fact that some homes were “allegedly rattled.”

Well, the rattling was real. The Facebook so-called warning about the first four hours of explosions came an hour after they started; and it did our family no good since we stay away from poisonous social media. And even the same-day notice of the second round that appeared in the Daily Chronicle did us no good at all. Though we knew they were coming sometime, the dozens of enormous explosions still startled, our hearts still jumped, the building still shook, and we still worried that our dogs would run for their lives.

I do not believe community warning was adequate. I cannot believe the Vulcan quarry is an adequate or legitimate range for the detonation of high explosives.

In response to my inquiries the sheriff’s office personnel directed me to the quarry. The quarry people pointed me to the sheriff’s office. But there is enough responsibility to go around. And everyone responsible needs to own up, and stop disturbing the peace of our community.

John Seraphine

Sycamore