Residents press board over dust, noise and truck safety at PJ Keating hearing

Multiple Acushnet residents used the public‑comment period to press the planning board and PJ Keating for stronger protections and clearer timelines ahead of site work.

“My name is Kevin Smith. I live at 161 Lawson Avenue … This town has spent 5 years battling this quarry to be a good neighbor,” one resident told the board, urging members to tour the facility and review the host‑community agreement. Residents described “gray sticky dust” that settled on homes, loud truck traffic that makes living rooms unusable, and longstanding health and nuisance concerns. Several asked whether the company would be required to stabilize disturbed areas and avoid leaving large exposed areas next to neighborhoods.

Company representatives said they would route stormwater into the quarry’s existing treatment systems, install berms and vegetation, use automated sprinklers and a large water truck to suppress dust, and pursue sight‑line and DOT approvals for truck‑exit warning lights if necessary. PJ Keating said it intends to decommission the front aggregate processing facility, create green space where feasible and limit the types of stockpiles kept near the road. The board emphasized its limited jurisdiction — site location, access, berms and stormwater — and noted other town boards and state agencies handle public‑health and enforcement issues.

The board continued the PJ Keating site‑plan hearing to Sept. 3 to allow time for peer‑review responses and further plan revisions, giving residents another opportunity to comment.