Massive Complaint List From Local Residents and Businesses to the Maine DEP and Town of Thomaston

This list is only a small portion of complaints, and do not include those who directly complained to Dragon or the local Police and Fire Departments about it's abnormally hazardous, dangerous, and nuisance activities. **Please note many complaints predate our moving to Thomaston in March of 2002 (at least from 1990 to 2002).**

Dragon Aerial Photos Courtesy of Ed Friedman-Point of View Helicopter Services

The photos below were taken on April 15th 2008, and are just more proof that Dragon Cement is completely destroying the Town of Thomaston. It sure looks like the water in the adjacent quarry within the active mining pit(the huge hole in the earth)is not anything remotely close to potable and may even be toxic. That should be tested immediately as there are business locations just across the street that have WELL WATER. I worked at one business in that location and it had well water. It left black metallic stains on the sink which would not come off of the porcelain enamel, and I was warned not to drink it. The odor of the water was chemical/metalic like coming right out of the tap, literally. The odor is indicative of very serious water contamination. I note my experiece working in a water control lab and I never had any water sample resembling the odor of this particular tap water. * The business I worked for was just off Dexter Street Extention (about 500 yards from the quarry just off route 1. As far as I know, these facilities still have well water today.

Please select and click the image to enlarge for better detail. Thanks.

Charts of Dragon Blasting Violations and Explosive Amounts Used

These charts are merely a fraction of the recorded blast events and violations which Dragon is responsible for.

Please carefully look at the incredibly huge amount in "tens of thousands" of pounds of explosives (last two doc's) that are used in only one month. The numbers are staggering! This amount of nitrate and other blasting agents (Emgel and Slurran) used regularly, such as Dragon is, must have a significant negative impact on the Aquifers here. To believe that there is no adverse effect or conseqence from the extensive regular use of Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil blend is highly illogical. Nitrates kill fish and are extremely harmful to the ground water, period.

Please click the image to enlarge and read. Thank You.





BELOW IS THE BLAST EVENT CHART: Please notice the amount of explosives used. The amounts are in "thousands" of pounds, which translates into hundreds of TONS (if not thousands of TONS) annually. Also consider the use of these blasting agents and the cumulative effect over decades of repeated use. A constant, continuous flow of Nitrates and contaminates into the ground water! HMM, Do you think that is good for the Aquifers and well water users who live behind Dragon Cement, or the birds who end up drinking any water with the residue in it, or any other inhabitant within reach of Dragon?? I highly doubt it is. Put more simply, it is ignorant, and extremely irresponsible.
It seems the only logical conclusion here is to completely remove (excavate) ALL Earth material around the Dragon Plant (including the CKD pile and clinker pile), do what the EPA reccommends by lining the quarry and consider even surrounding the facility grounds with an impermeable membrane as well to "help" prevent further any leachate occurance. Then install permanent ground water filtration to "help" remove the contaminants that Dragon allowed to permeate the Aquifers here in Thomaston Maine.

Maine DEP and Dragon Correspondance, RE: Hazardous Waste-Ground Water Defined as Hazardous Waste

Please note that the statements made herewith are quoted from original documents and are directly from Maine Department of Environmental Protection sources. Also, notes from Dragon's personell regarding the Water Impacts their facility has and is known to have on the Thomaston Aquifers.

**please note also that there are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of documents similar in content to these and it is just not possible for me to scan all of them, unfortunately, however they can be made available by requesting them under FOIA (Freedom Of Information Act)**

**It should also be noted that these problems and numerous complaints about Dust, Blasting, and other "incidents" had been occuring well prior to our purchase of the 1844 home in which we live. We purchased our home in February of 2002, and moved in March 7, or so, of 2002. At no time did anyone inform us of the problems associated with this industrial facility, and the previous home owner, we discovered a year later, drove cement hauling trucks for Dragon (he managed to make sure to keep that quiet at the closing). Then to top it off, we found out his son owns a "Concrete" company right here. What a coincidence. The things people will do just to make a buck is just unfathomable.

Please click to enlarge and read documents. Thanks.

Dragon Blasting Violation's and Maine DEP Letter RE: Violating License Conditions!

Note: There are previous blasting violation years (2004-06 and 07) which for some reason were not included in these letters (just "random" views?), and it seems suspicious. I was standing right over a seismograph in my front yard when Dragon monitored on our property (with Maine DEP presence) during a blast event in February 2004, and that monitor indicated "Warning-Range Exceeded" on the paper tape which records the PPV or Ground Vibration. Federal blasting standards are set to prevent or try to prevent damage to homes from "Ground Vibration and Air Blast" It should also be noted that my home was built circa 1844 (has plaster on lathe walls), and IS the home mentioned by the DEP Mining Coordinator in his letter below to Dragon's management. My home has sustained significant damage from Dragon's blasting (an estimate of appx. $80,000 in damage by a licensed contractor), and there still are blasts which are very large and shake our 164 year old home and barn.

I am going to add some "Blasting Violation Exceedances" and documentation of the huge quantity of explosives and types that Dragon uses nearly every week and sometimes even several times per week.

Dragon's Entire Operation and Pollution Photos!

Dragon Plant operating with it's "Short Smoke Stack" just before they completed their 50 million dollar expantion project. Yet they aren't doing what they should do for the well water users behind their plant? What happened to the "Clean Water Act"?? Where is the Federal EPA?? and Why aren't they testing ALL the well water behind Dragon Cement??



This next photo is one I took of nasty leachate that had been oozing down the rock face just in front of Dragon's buildings. Apparently, it had a high Ph, and had been flowing for a long time. It was determined that the sluge was coming from the "Clinker" storage shed and had been for many years!! What did that do to the Ground Water?? What happend to the Town of Thomaston's Water Ordinance and why didn't they take enforcement action?? I think I know why. $$$$$, that IS why. The private well water needs to be tested at each and every home owners source (NOT out of the tap, but the well itself! Empahsis added.








This is the perfect example of why I have continued my efforts to "Clean Up" Dragon Cement. The CKD pile may be capped now, but that does not remove the threat to the Aquifers. Clay and soil is not going to prevent water from entering the CKD in the 4acre open area that Dragon is using NOW and will be for the next 20 years! It further does not prevent water from making it's way around the pile in the quarry itself and subsequently into the aquifers. Maybe even into the well water at the homes behind Dragon Cement.



This photo of Dragon's CKD pile is one of many that shows it before it was covered with a layer of clay and soil layden with "short fiber paper waste" which came from a company by the name of Casella Waste Management. NSD was unaware of the changes made to the constituents of the CKD cover and initially it was only suppose to be a 6inch layer of clay followed by a thick layer of top-soil and then seeded. However, "behind our backs" it was decided that they were going to add this paper waste from either the paper recycling process or manufacturing process.

This photo also shows that NOTHING would grow in it pre-cover, and it is also believed to be partly responsible for the high Ph problem and associated with heavy metals in the ground water. It is STILL in the "unlined quarry bed" today. The Ground Water will always be threatend by this cement waste as long as it is in the big hole in the ground.

This is a recent local newspaper article (The Courier Gazette) that came out today April 21, 2008. To date we STILL don't have the document's we requested from this polluter, and they continue to play "Discovery Games" wasting valuable Court time and causing unreasonable delay in Jury Trial Proceedings. This cement manufacturer continues it's environmental damage and the EPA still fails to implement more stringent emission standards. Click the image to make larger and readable. Thanks.

Dragon Is Dirty.

I took this photo around 2005 or 06 if my memory serves me right. The photo anyway was taken prior to the "Modernization" of the plant. Before this took place a short "smoke stack" was emitting really nasty smelling (like hydrochloric acid, sulfur from coal burning, etc..) which was to the right of this particular picture. Somewhere I have photos of the short stack and will post when I locate it.
The dust appears to be coming from beneath the "Feed Belt" where raw material is fed into the building seen here. I have many photos of this particular area and the exact dates I took them. At some point I will dig out the rest and post, but for now this photo clearly shows no effort to control the dust in this location anyway.

Newspaper Article Describing Our Situation.

Please click the article to enlarge and read. Thanks.

It is a shame that the Human Race has such a profound, detrimental impact on the Earth.Humans will inevitably be the cause for this planets annihilation. There is no doubt that the impacts of mining, oil drilling, forest cutting for development, and so many other ruinous acts which no other than the Human Race is to blame for, has more likely than not seriously shortened the existance of this planet in the Universe.It is absolutely impossible to calculate the extent of damage that Human Beings have already done and continue to do on an hourly basis around the globe.
There is not one scientist who can accurately predict what will happen to this planet due to Human degradation of it's land mass and water bodies.
Will Humans ever learn the consequenses of what they are doing to the balance of the Earth?
Certainly not the individuals who "BLOW IT UP" bit by bit changing the structural integrity of it, leaving huge gaping holes, huge voids from sucking the oil out of it, blowing off the tops of mountains for profit, and other destructive acts which will eventually render this planet totally useless and even lifeless sooner than anyone may suspect.
My guess is that this planet will be completely destroyed far before any wishful or hopeful "Space Travel" evolves to reach a "life sustaining" planet beyond our galaxy (should one actually exist?), and that is really quite sad.
So, keep on blowing up the Earth for it's "treasures" causing it to become more and more unstable as each day passes, and see just how far it get's all of us in the end. NOWHERE FAST. That is exactly where.

ATTEMPTED CONCEALMENT OF TRUTH BY DRAGON- (Lying about creating fugitive dust and leachate locations):http://mainegov-images.informe.org/dep/bep/2007/03-01-07/NSD%20re-open.pdf

Click the image to enlarge and read.

The United Steel Workers Union came to our aid and showed support at a fairly large Public meeting. This was the flyer they handed out at that time, which I then posted throughout town so those in disbelief could see for themselves.

They are the largest industrial union in North America, and it is just another indication that Dragon and the Cement Industry is lacking in it's environmental care.

Please see the Town of Thomaston's Land Use Ordinance: http://town.thomaston.me.us/ Once there, click on "DOC" not PDF, and look for Article II Section 716.14 "Water Quality".

YouTube Videos.

I am providing a link to my video page at YouTube.com. It is:

http://www.youtube.com/scdarney

These video's were, for the most part, taken recently and depict a environmental mess caused by the cement manufacturing industry right here in Thomaston Maine.

Maine, ? "The Way Life Should Be." Not here in Thomaston, that's for sure.

"It is our duty as Human Beings to protect what provides for us, Mother Earth." ~scdarney