20211124_Blast_release_61-19

6� o
ROY COOPER
Governor
ELIZABETH S. BISER
Secretary
BRIAN WRENN NORTH CAROLINA
Director Environmental Quality
November 24,2021
Certified Mail
Return Receipt Requested
7016 2140 0000 4368 3780
Merle D Andrews
Blue Ridge Quarries Inc.
8487 US Highway 221 North
Marion,NC 28752
RE: Steel Gray Mine
Mining Permit No. 61-19
Mitchell County
French Broad River Basin
Dear Mr.Andrews:
Our office has completed its review of Blue Ridge Quarries' blasting information,including the Notice of Violation
response sent in regard to the September 1,2021 blast conducted at the Steel Gray Mine.The remediation measures
outlined in the investigation report have been found to satisfactorily meet the corrective actions required by this
office. Primarily, the remediation measures are as follows:
• Placement of blast matts sufficiently sized for the pattern shot.
• Blasting is on allowed in the permitted area.
• Create benches in the rock face in order to change the general direction of faces to point more
towards the northeast.
• Monitor throughout the blast with a seismograph.
In order to ensure issued of NOV in the future, the above remedial measures should be considered part of the
blasting procedures used at this facility. I appreciate your company's prompt investigation of this matter upon
receipt of our Notice of Violation dated September 1,2021.
Blasting operations may resume at the above-mentioned site. Please provide this office with complete records
for each blast performed at this mine site after the November 29,2021 blast for the next 12 blasts,or all blasts
conducted in the next 12 months,whichever occurs later.
D�FQ� Nonh Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Energy.Mineral and Land Resources
512 North Salisbury Street 1 1612 Mail Service Center I Raleigh,North Carolina 2 769 9-1612
�\ 919.707.9200

Certified Mail
7016 2140 0000 4368 3780
Page 2
Please do not hesitate to contact Stanley Aiken, PE,Asheville Regional Engineer,at 828-296-4610,or Adam Parr,
PE, Assistant Mining Engineer,at(919)707-9220 regarding any questions you might have about this matter.
Sincerely,
415 -
David Miller, P.E.
State Mining Engineer
Division of Energy, Mineral, and Land Resources
DM/bh
cc: Stan Aiken, PE, Asheville Regional Engineer
Ms. Shawna Riddle, Environmental Specialist II,Asheville Region
Scott Buechel, Buechel Stone Corp., W3639 County Hwy H, Chilton, WI 53014
Chris Bucy, Buechel Stone Corp., 7274 US Hwy 221 N., Marion,NC 28752