Blasting company set off explosions without permit in Raleigh, records show

Sirens blare in a video taken by Ed Parsons at his home in northeast Raleigh.

"Here it comes. This is a different sound," Parsons said in the clip.

"Fire in the hole," comes over a loudspeaker at the nearby construction site.

There’s a rapid series of pops, a deep booming sound and a cloud of dust swells into the air.

It’s one of more than a dozen videos Parsons has of blasts that have taken place at the Tucker Place neighborhood construction site over the last few months.

"[They blast] at least three, sometimes they’ve done up to five blasts during the day," Parsons told 5 On Your Side

When they’re not blasting, they’re drilling. "From 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. this is what we hear," Parsons said as heavy machinery drilled into the ground about 100 feet away.

"We can’t sit out here, we can’t grill, we can’t have a conversation," Parsons said.

Parsons and other neighbors felt like the blasting wasn’t just annoying, it was violating conditions of it’s city permit.

"Just cause they gave you a permit doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want," Parsons said.

Neighbors told 5 On Your Side they couldn’t get anywhere with the blaster, East Coast Drilling and Blasting, the developer, KB Home, or the Raleigh Fire Marshal’s Office that issued the permits. So, neighbors contacted WRAL 5 On Your Side.

WRAL 5 On Your Side obtained all blasting permits for the project and found that from June 4 – June 25, East Coast Drilling and Blasting did not have a permit to blast from the city of Raleigh. However, video from Parsons shows at least five blasts happened during that three-week span.

Blasting has interrupted the Parsons family’s Friday night on their porch. At times, it’s also come without any warning, which is a violation. Parsons said blasts have been so close that the dust clogged and knocked out his air conditioner.

"When I talked to the guy from East Coast about the HVAC and the dust; he said, ‘That’s not our problem,’" Parsons told 5 On Your Side

The Raleigh Fire Marshal’s office says all the blasts on site for since July 20 have been code compliant. However, the office is not using a tool to find out if a blast is shaking Parsons’ house more than it’s allowed to.

"We’ve never seen the seismograph readings or anything," Parsons said.

A seismograph East Coast had put in Parson’s yard records the strength of each blast. The Fire Marshal’s Office can check that data, but it doesn’t. The office is taking the blasting company’s word about compliance.

East Coast Drilling And Blasting told WRAL 5 On Your Side "no comment" in a phone call.

It’s also what the company said in 2018 when debris from one of its explosions crashed through the roof of a Durham home and its blasting permit was revoked.

"We don’t want them to stop," Parsons said. "We just want them to do the right thing; play the warnings like you’re supposed to, notify us and take care of any damages from the dust."

Since WRAL 5 On Your Side got involved, the developer, KB Homes, paid Parsons back for his HVAC repair costs. KB Homes said it will pressure wash the dust off his house.

KB Homes also sent 5 On Your Side this statement: "KB Home and its subcontractors have been doing site development off Cashlin Drive, and as indicated by the City of Raleigh Fire Chief, all protocols and permitting requirements were adhered to. Residents were notified prior to commencement and inspections were offered to adjacent properties prior to beginning work. We have been actively assisting any neighbors impacted by dust from the site development."

East Coast Drilling and Blasting also now says it will provide Parsons with the seismograph readings.