Tanner residents raised an important issue in their attempts to block a quarry in their community.

Interject nearby Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant into the debate and the issue becomes larger than a single-community concern.

The Rogers Group of Nashville is a professional quarry-operating company and says today’s technology is nothing like the old days of blasting, which caused the ground to rumble and houses to shake.

Rogers wants to relocate its Limestone quarry from Elkmont to be closer to its customers because transportation is a major cost in hauling crushed stone.

It is difficult to fault Tanner residents for not wanting the quarry in their area. Active quarries are unsightly, noisy, dusty and create major traffic from the behemoth trucks that come and go regularly.

Tanner residents worry that blasting might destabilize the nuclear plant’s foundation. Rogers says its precise blasting at Tanner won’t affect the stability of the nuclear plant’s three operating units.

State Rep. Micky Hammon, R-Decatur, and state Sen. Tom Butler, D-Madison, are not so sure. They plan to sponsor legislation next year to stop quarry building within certain distances of nuclear plants.

The Limestone County Commission says it lacks authority to stop the project. But construction should be halted until a legitimate study is completed.

The legislators are gathering facts. In the end, it might be that the quarry the Rogers Group plans for Tanner is a safe distance from the nuclear plant. But we need the facts.

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