It is hereby found and declared that it is in the best interests
of the Town of North Haven and its residents to adopt this Blasting
Ordinance to set forth the blasting policy of the Office of the Fire
Marshal developed for the protection of the health, safety, and well-being
of the Town, its residents, and their property.
In the performance of blasting and related activity, the following
procedures and requirements shall be adhered to:
A. A pre-blasting site inspection by the Office of the Fire Marshal
must be completed before any blasting is performed.
B. The Fire Marshal or his/her designee must be on site prior to any
blasts if so required as a condition of approval at the time of issuance
of the blasting permit. If the Fire Marshal so conditions his/her
approval, notice of the time of each blast will be provided to the
Fire Marshal at least 48 hours in advance, and the blast will not
occur unless the Fire Marshal or his designee is present on site.
C. A properly calibrated seismograph shall be used to monitor ground
vibration levels during each blast, and the operation of the seismograph
shall be attended to by the appropriate professional. Seismographic
monitoring shall be utilized at the structure(s) closest to the blasting
operation/site.
D. Blaster shall carry his medical card and all state-required documents
at all times.
E. Only enough explosives for the amount of blasting for one day for
which the permit application has been completed shall be permitted
to be transported.
F. No blasters shall cause any vehicle carrying any quantity of explosives
or caps to be brought into any populated areas of the Town of North
Haven unless in direct route to the blasting site. No stops are to
be made with a loaded magazine for any purpose. Vehicles must proceed
directly to the blasting site.
G. No vehicle transporting any quantity of explosives shall be left
unattended at any time, and when attended, the attendant must be a
licensed blaster.
H. No temporary magazines will be allowed in the Town of North Haven.
I. Blasting operations in the immediate vicinity of any utility infrastructure,
either above or below ground, shall have obtained written acknowledgement
from the utility(ies) involved prior to obtaining a blasting permit.
J. All shots shall be covered with approved wire or rubber tire mats
with no exceptions.
K. Any and all fly rock shall be reported immediately to the North Haven
Fire Department at 203-239-5321 at Extension 100.
Hours of blasting shall be limited to weekdays only between
the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. There shall be no blasting on
weekends or federal holidays. During days in which blasting occurs,
daily reports shall be filed with the Office of the North Haven Fire
Marshal on forms to be prepared by the Fire Marshal, which may be
amended from time to time to include the information listed below
and any other information that the Fire Marshal believes is necessary
to keep record of:
A. Date and exact firing time and limits of blast by station;
B. Name of person or entity responsible for charge and blasting permit
number;
C. Unusual joint or seam conditions encountered in the rock;
D. Type and strength of explosives, blasting caps, and distribution
of delay periods used;
E. Total explosive loadings per round and per group of delays;
F. Type of stemming, matting, or cover used;
G. Prevailing weather conditions, including direction and approximate
velocity of wind, atmospheric velocity of wind, atmospheric temperature,
relative humidity, and cloud conditions at the time of blast;
H. Comments by blaster in charge regarding any misfires and/or unusual
results or effects;
I. An evaluation of the blast indicating areas of significant overbreak
or underbreaking and any recommended adjustments for the next blast;
and
J. Signature and title of person making record entries.
In the event that there is an emergency need to blast, notice will be provided to the Office of the North Haven Fire Marshal at least 48 hours prior to the blast. Blasting activity will be considered to be necessary on an emergency basis if, in the discretionary opinion of the North Haven Fire Marshal, there is an imminent threat to life or property involved. However, this provision shall not be deemed to limit the authority of any federal, state, or local official or agency to direct blasting activity pursuant to any applicable federal, state, or local law, statute, code, or regulation. Notification of emergency blasting activity will be posted in the Town Clerk's office and on the Town's website, and compliance with the notification provisions of §
83-4 will not be required.
Applicable Connecticut General Statutes and regulations shall
be followed at all times, including all required safety regulations.
Failure to follow any statutes or regulations will result in the revocation
of the blasting permit issued by the Town of North Haven and a report
being submitted to the Bureau of the State Fire Marshal reporting
the revocation and detailing the reason(s) for revocation. The Office
of the Fire Marshal may inspect structures for damage to determine
compliance with all applicable statutes, regulations, and the provisions
of this chapter.
Pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes Section 29-355, if
any person considers himself aggrieved by the doings of the Office
of the Fire Marshal, he may apply, within 30 days, to the Superior
Court, which may grant appropriate relief.
If any provision of this chapter or the application thereof
to any person or circumstances is held to be invalid, such invalidity
shall not affect other provisions or applications of any other part
of this chapter which can be given effect without the invalid provisions
or application; and to this end, the provisions of this chapter and
the various applications thereof are declared to be severable.