I attended the two December meetings of the Ledyard Planning and Zoning Committee during which the plan to quarry rock on Mount Decatur in Gales Ferry was discussed extensively and in great detail. On Dec. 21, Phil Fiore provided details about the possible release of silica dust, a carcinogen; and I heard many other attendees voice concerns for their foundations, well contamination, heavy truck traffic on our roads, concern for local wildlife and fears for their own health. I also attended the Jan. 11 meeting, at which I spoke to a Bozrah resident whose home is located close to a similar blasting and quarrying project there. She told me that they currently are experiencing every single issue that we are being warned about.

Cashman Dredging & Marine Contracting is based in Quincy, Mass., and Tony Sheridan, CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut and an avid supporter of this blasting and dredging project, lives in Waterford. None of these people are jeopardized by proximity to the work location. I sincerely hope that on Feb. 8, the Ledyard Planning and Zoning Committee will rule against Cashman Dredging & Marine Contracting and in favor of the residents of Gales Ferry.

Catherine Marshall

Gales Ferry