Ed Tanner, Bristol zoning official, said a zoning change from general business to manufacturing at the site will make ELJ in compliance with town regulations.

Mr. Tanner said, as of now, the business is a non-conforming use. ELJ has argued in the past that the business is grandfathered because they used the property for similar uses before zoning at the property.

“They’ve done a lot of things to their operations to try to comply with our requests and the neighbors’ complaints about noise and dust,” Mr. Tanner said.

The property has been the scene of zoning battles and lawsuits dating back to 2005, when families on Brook Farm Drive sued ELJ for noise and air pollution.

The R.I. Department of Environmental Management issued a dust control “ fugitive dust ” violation to ELJ in October of 2005, citing clouds of dust traveling from the Tupelo Street property to adjacent neighborhoods. Samples taken tested positive for silica, a potentially harmful substance when breathed in.

Since 2005, Mr. Tanner said, ELJ has taken several measures to clean up the property.

There were many past complaints by neighbors of mud being dragged up and down Tupelo Street, but now ELJ uses a street sweeper to keep the dust and the mud from being spread around the neighborhood.

Mr. Tanner said ELJ also implemented several dust control  measures, including changing the way they were using their rock crusher and the storing of stockpiles of materials on the property.

ELJ now uses water and a chemical called a tackifier resin that is sprayed on material piles to hold them in place and not produce dust.

Mr. Tanner said the town hasn’t had any recent complaints about the business. “(ELJ) has certainly done some things to clean that up and to address the town’s concerns,” Mr. Tanner said.

Part of the zoning agreement involves the submission of a master plan showing a map of the property with entrances, exits and parking. The change is on the planning board’s agenda for recommendation at their Tuesday, Dec. 8, meeting and would then go before the council the next day.

Company specialists can advise on strategic air control at the development stage or integrate into plants which have been in operation for some length of time. Fanquip’s Mining Division focuses on temperature control, ventilation, management of confined space environments, dust control  both in suppression and collection, and management of toxic gases and emissions.

There are steps to reduce the amount of dust and therefore the time it takes to clean up the area. One of these is plastic, tape, staples and 2 by 4′s. Normally putting up this type of barrier is not a one-man job, if you do it alone it takes time, lots and lots of wasted time. The professional knows how important dust free construction is to the homeowner, so they take the time for two or more men to install the barrier. Most home do-it-yourselfers don’t bother, so normally projects create weeks of clean up as the dust settles throughout the house.

Now, there’s a product, which installs easily at the jobsite and blocks the dust from leaving the area. Zipwall dust control  systems include telescoping poles, plastic gripping heads with pads to protect the sealing, skid free discs for under the poles, locks to seal the side and best of all, zippers. That’s right, zippers. Getting in and out of a work area that’s taped up normally means you have to overlap some of the plastic and form a loose seal at the doors, which allows the dust to escape to other parts of the house. The Zipwall system allows you to keep the seal tight, even suck the dust out as you work by putting the hose of an operating vacuum under the plastic and not have one bit of dust go to another area of the house. The professional looking enclosed area and the dust free job site is enough to get the highest praise from even your meticulous client.

Suppose your task is to do a job where the owner has expensive carpeting. Zipwall will prevent the dust but drywall dust seldom comes out of the carpet, so you need to lay a drop cloth all over the room. What if the job goes to a second floor? The drop cloth is dangerous on steps no matter how you tape it, lay boards or make adjustments. There is a product that adheres to the steps, rolls onto the carpet or flooring and creates a safe working environment. CarpetWrap carpet protection is an easy to apply and has a sister product StairWrap. The back has a low tack adhesive to keep it in place without the use of staples or tape. Best of all, there’s no messy residue left behind once it’s removed. You simply roll it up and throw it away, with the dust and dirt still on top. It protects the carpet from hard to remove construction dust and saves hours of cleaning.

If you’re working in an area and need to insure no dust leaves as you do, consider shoe and boot covers. These slide right onto your boot or shoe, have a non-slip sole and protect the floor while you’re working and keeps you from tracking any dust throughout the rest of the house. There are even mats to catch any dust on your feet as you leave the area, again providing more protection for the homeowner.

Whether you’re a home remodeler or professional, using products that create less clean up makes you a popular guy and keeps everyone happy. The professional look that you achieve by taking the extra caution to protect the house is well worth it because of all the referrals you’ll get for future jobs. People, both clients and spouses, are always impressed when they realize that the job was completed in a dust free manner, easy to clean manner.

Ray Blake is co-founder of Blake Products and has several patented and patent pending surface protection products for the construction industry. For more on Zipwall dust control and other surface protection products click on http://www.surfaceprotection.com

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