Miami Lakes residents frustrated by rock mining, blasting near homes – NBC 6 South Florida

Tempers flared Wednesday night as dozens of Miami Lakes residents sounded off on local leaders during a town hall on nearby rock mining and blasting that they say feels like an earthquake.

Former Miami Lakes Vice Mayor Nelson Rodriguez says constant blasting has caused $80,000 worth of damage to his pool, now filled with cracks.

“Your plates rattle,” Rodriguez said. “Your dishes rattle. Your windows rattle. There are people going through psychological problems because they’re scared of the blasting.”

The lime rock being mined is needed for construction, but homeowners who live near the quarries say it feels like it’s getting worse.

The mining takes place near I-75 and The Florida Turnpike.

“You’re feeling the pipes in your wall shake,” said resident Abel Fernandez. “Your whole building structure shakes. Then comes the damages, then comes the cracks, the leaking pipes, the leaking pool, the leaking roof.”

Residents want officials to lower the blasting limits to a lower vibration.

“If we lower the limits of blasting, we won’t have these damages to our homes,” Rodriguez said.

Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava was at the meeting and said she’s alarmed.

“I am very alarmed,” Levine Cava said. “I agree that my appearance here and my concerns are not enough. Action is what matters. I am going to look at the issue of damage to public infrastructure and see if there is any opportunity to take action about it that.”

NBC 6 reached out to White Rock Quarries, the company doing the blasting, but have not heard back.