Explosions aren't expected to cause much disturbance for residents: PotashCorp

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PENOBSQUIS Residents near the site of a new potash mine should feel or hear very little when blasting begins in the next week or two.

"Noise and vibration will be sensed, depending on the proximity to the actual blasting site...but it should be fairly minor," mine manager Mark Fracchia said.

Those living within a 2.5 kilometre radius of the site were invited to an information session June 16, although very few people attended.

The blasting, scheduled to happen over the next four to six months, will enable PotashCorp to build the shaft collar foundations which will support the steel head frames and a hoist.

Initially, blasting will happen on or just below the surface up to four times a day but only during daylight hours. The underground phase will carry on 24 hours-a-day because Fracchia said it's very unlikely anyone is going to hear it.

Over the next six or seven years at an investment of $1.7 billion, PotashCorp plans to expand its mine operations here with two new mine shafts at the Picadilly potash deposit. The potash ore mined at this location will be transported via pipeline to the existing processing facility across the road.

Kings-East MLA Bruce Northrup had some concerns prior to the session but walked away confident that Penobsquis residents shouldn't be disturbed.

"I was encouraged at the end to talk to a resident of Penobsquis that was there in 1980 when the two shafts were built where the existing mine is now," he said. "She said she had worked in a trailer right on site and it wasn't a loud roar or blast. It was very controlled."

A groundwater monitoring plan has also been developed to ensure area wells are not affected during this phase or future phases of the billion dollar development.

"We have drilled a number of monitor wells basically stretching around the entire construction area and beyond," Fracchia said adding that they will be monitored closely.

Final approval from the Department of Environment hadn't yet been given for the monitoring plan as of June 17. Fracchia said blasting won't begin until they get the green light, which could be within a matter of days.