Kennewick City Council postpones decision about emergency moratorium on blasting near Canyon Lakes

KENNEWICK, Wash.-- The Kennewick City Council held a brief special meeting after Tuesday night's regularly scheduled workshop session, to consider placing an emergency moratorium on basalt blasting happening near homes in the Canyon Lakes subdivision, but opted instead to reconsider the moratorium at its regular meeting next week.

The city doesn't have a blasting ordinance, and while the contractor involved in the blasting is meeting state requirements, homeowners living near the blast site say the explosions have caused damage to their homes.

"Even though this project may be compliant with state law, we have the ability to apply more stringent requirements," said city attorney Lisa Beaton during the council's workshop session. "Some of the issues council may want to address, should the city adopt more restrictive requirements regarding the distance from residences, or existence from existing structures. Whether or not we want to allow blasting on certain zoned properties. So, there are options available to city council."

Beaton told council that they could adopt emergency interim regulations, as long as they hold a public hearing within 60 days, then vote on whether to keep the interim regulation in place for six months.

Council members opted to give the contractor another week to come up with a plan to reduce the impact on homeowners in the area. The item will be added to the March 3rd agenda, where homeowners will be given another opportunity to voice their concerns before council determines whether to put an emergency moratorium in place.