Consensus reached on Panuke Road safety concerns

BY NADINE ARMSTRONG

The Hants Journal

NovaNewsNow.com

What the people of Panuke Rd. want most right now is peace of mind. Residents there have complained about the danger of trucks hauling gravel from the quarry for years now and their patience has worn thin.

But since Dexter's Construction has applied for an environmental assessment to expand operations and the life of the quarry, residents have hit rock bottom. However, recent negotiations between residents and the company suggest there may be limited solutions.

At a public meeting March 26, area spokesperson Garth Hazel questioned many items in the assessment, but the real issue was safety. The community invited representatives from Dexter's to the forum in the hopes of making that point clear. “We're not here to shut this quarry down. We know these men need to make a living, but they've got to slow down,” Hazel said. “The big issue is safety on the road and we're here to work in cooperation, but it can't all be one way.”

Residents recounted stories of bus drivers closing the doors because students could not exit safely, and the heady perfume of diesel fuel that permeates the area. “I don't remember the last time I could open my windows in the summer,” said Raymond Upshaw. “We deserve better than that” was the collective argument.

Falling rocks from untarped loads was a concern also, along with the noise from the quarry. And although residents say they have complained to the RCMP many times, continued reckless driving has led many to fear for their safety. “When our children get off the school bus there’s no time for those trucks to stop. If you were a resident living on Panuke Rd. with children, would you be worried?” asked Barb Upshaw. “Money is not everything.” “When Dexter's purchased that quarry they had a responsibility to the residents,” Hazel said. “We want someone to widen the road or put in sidewalks so we don't get run over. It's either that or build a separate road.

Road doesn’t match the numbers

Superintendent of Operations for Dexter's, Danny Clifton, admits they had not looked into building a separate roadway because of cost. “We had planned all along to use Panuke Road because it's a government road,” and because it’s “obviously cheaper.”

Panuke Road is classified as a local road with a weight limit of 41,500 kg and falls under the Spring Weight Restrictions of 60 per cent of that limit. The first 1.5km from Highway 1 is paved and is classified as local road Type G, which means it should have a minimum width of 9.2 metres with a six-metre paved surface.

However, residents say the road in many sections does not match those figures, neither paved nor shoulder width. They also maintain that although the road has been used to haul gravel since the days of the causeway construction, it was never built for that level of traffic. “The road is classified for those trucks and there have always been trucks going through the area, but not to the extent it’s today,” said West Hants MLA Chuck Porter.

Currently, the quarry operates 15 hours per day, seven days a week with over 100 trucks per hour barreling down the road, Hazel said.

Constructing sidewalks are not an option. Councillor Shirley Pineo pointed out those are a municipal concern not a provincial one, and it would be the people of Panuke Road paying for it through their area rate.

Clifton noted that no complaints have ever come across his desk and that reckless driving was unacceptable. “Those truck drivers are read the riot act about safety,” he said, “but I've never had one complaint from residents.”

The company has 150 employees from the Hants County area and Clifton said there are some very good people on board. “Unfortunately, a lot comes down to truckers without common sense. Personally, I thought we were doing a pretty good job, but if someone can prove to me a truck driver is driving recklessly then they'd be gone.”

Monitor the traffic

Hazel pointed out that some of the trucks are privately owned and that the company can't be in every single one to see what’s happening. His suggestion was to meet with the RCMP to see what could be done to better monitor traffic.

Porter said he has been in contact with the RCMP about the situation. “I have talked to the RCMP on numerous occasions and have taken a number of calls from residents, which are always in regard to speed. Family is very important and the last thing we want is for someone to be injured.”

Allen Hayman is the lawyer representing Dexter's at the forum. He said all the concerns expressed were legitimate and agreed the company should meet privately with a select number of residents and relevant parties. “We came here at the request of your MLA and if you people have issues, we're prepared to meet and have a chat about things,” he said.

That’s exactly what took place a week later, on April 3, when Hayman chaired the suggested private meeting. Hazel said there was a very positive outcome with representatives from the Truckers’ Association, Department of Highways Compliance Division, RCMP and Jacques Whitford, who had conducted the environmental assessment.

Hazel said the Department of Highways has agreed to fix the trouble spots and widen the road and shoulders, with compliance conducting a full traffic count and regular inspections as well.

The RCMP, he said, have agreed to put more checkstops in the area and have encouraged residents to call when they observe reckless driving. The Department of Highways will install signs to discourage the use of Jake brakes.

Representatives from Jacques Whitford told Hazel there will also need to be an industrial assessment made before the expansion is approved and that the Department of Environment will monitor air quality control. The blasting zones will be fenced and seismic control also monitored. “I'm very satisfied with how things turned out,” Hazel said. “We really appreciate the fact that everyone came out and participated.” He added however, “we'll hold them to it and if they don't do what they said they would, we'll be back.”