West Meade Neighborhood Association and TN Rep. Caleb Hemmer are attempting to fund a research project proposed by the Center for Earthquake Research and Information at the University of Memphis. The legislature did not approve the budget to fund the research, and I suspect that is partly because we, as residents, have not been loud enough. So far, over 90 residents have filled out the survey, and stated that they feel they have foundational or cosmetic damage as a result of the blasting from the River Road Vulcan Materials quarry. If you have not filled out the survey, but feel you have blasting damage, please take the survey here.

Has Any Research Been Done?

To date, there has been some research, but mostly CERI has been gathering seismographic data of the blasts that have occurred in the last year. The researchers have also been reviewing existing research on vibration damage, and the background of the current vibration regulations.

In October of 2024, Dr. Stephen Horton (from CERI) gave a presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Eastern Section of the Seismological Society of America, titled “What is the appropriate shaking limit for blasting near Nashville, TN?” In this presentation, Dr. Horton highlights the obvious discrepancies between what current thought believes is acceptable vibration in the United States vs. what is considered acceptable in the rest of the world. He also points out the shortcomings of the research on vibration effects on older, and even historic homes. Here is the abstract of the talk:

What’s Our Next Step?

In the presentation, Dr. Horton displays a video of a blast from within a home in West Meade on a continuous loop. The video shows not only visible vibration, but also audio of the blast. He points out that the measured reading of the blast is in the range that current thinking claims is “barely perceptible” by humans. It is very compelling. WMNA is attempting to arrange a Legislature Briefing on the blasting issue, and hope to get Dr. Horton to present it to the Legislature. We have asked Sen. Heidi Campbell if she would co-host the briefing, and we are awaiting her reply. I believe getting the legislature to understand the issue better might improve our chances of getting the research funded in the 2026 budget.

This briefing would be a first step in a process to get the Tennessee Legislature to take action, initially by funding the research, and in the future, by taking steps to fix the regulation and possibly assist residents in the repairs of their homes.

If you would like to help us in this effort, please contact us and let us know.

Paul Garland
President, West Meade Neighborhood Association