Sandblasting company told to fix violations

Neighbors have raised noise and health concerns; the sandblasting company has until the end of May to follow state code.

A BUSINESS OWNER IN KALAMAZOOHAS UNTIL THE END OF THE MONTHTOBRING HIS SANDBLASTING COMPANYUP TO STATE CODE... ORFACE MORE VIOLATIONS.HIS NEIGHBORS TELL US THEWORK HE'S DOING IS AFFECINTGTHEIRLIVES AND THEIR HEALTH.

FOX 17PROBLEM SOLVER RYANCUMMINGS... HAS A CLOSER LOOK ATTHEIR CONCERNS.:56 - "He needs to beh sut downhe shouldn'tbe able to do that." GUYCHERRY LIVES ON K AVENUE.HE'S OWNED HIS PROPERTY FOR MORETHAN 20 YAERS.

1:02 "Inbetween my house and thatbuilding is my air intake for myfurnace, so all that dust goesinto my house."HE'S CONCERNED ABOUT THEPARTICLES COMING FROM 'KALAMAZOOSANDBLAST' NEXT DOOR.THE ISSUES, HE SAYS, STARTEDLAST SUMMER.1:22 "It's just terrible to bestanding outsidewhen he's blasting and it's loudtoo.

We're at80 decibels right over three, 80decibels.

Andit's like 69 decibels inside myhome."WHICH MAKES HIS INSOMNIA WORSE.GUY HAS A TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURYFOLLOWING HIS MILITARYSERVICE.

HE SAYS THESANDBLASTING SOMETIMESCONTINUES WEL LPAST MIDNIGHT.2:19 "We'veh ad to leaveseveral timesjust to get away while we'retrying to getsomebody to deal with it, I'vehad to leave myown house." THIS MEDICALDOCUMENT FROMTHE BATTLE CREEK V-A SHOWS HISATHSMA IS GETTING WORSE.THE DOCTOR SAYING IT'S BEENAFFECTED BY "RECENT OCCURRENCEOF NEIGHBOR RAISINGDUST THAT GETS INTO HIS HOME."4:34 "I've been using myemergency inhalerso much he had to give me adifferentmedication." GUY IS ALSO ANAVID BEEKEEPER.

HIS HIVES AREABOUT 100 YARDSAWAY.

EH TOLD ME ALL THEINSECTS HAVE DIED.AND HE THINKS THE SANDBLASTINGHAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT.EVEN HIS FRIENDS HAVE ISSUESWHEN THEY VISIT.:27 "The clouds of stuff thatcome over,you get all thati n your mouthyou taste it, youtaste metal." JEFFREY LEESTOPS BY GUY'S HOUSE A COUPLETIMES A WEEK.THAT METAL TASTE HE SAYSSOMETIMES LINGERS FOR DAYS.1:02 "It's like a really fine,fin gerit.

So, whenyou wash your vehicle, you haveto be reallycareful you don't take thefinish off with it." :01 "It'sall over the top of the snow."THIS VIDEO SHOWS JUST HOW DIRTYGUY'S BACKYARD WAS IN THEWINTER.

THE DUST AND DIRT -ALL OVER HISCARPORT AND VEHICLES.

THE SAMEMATERIAL ISCOERVING BRANDON ROBART'SSPORTSCAR INSIDE HISGARAGE.

1:54 "So I got somepictures back in Marchright after I washed it and itwas spotlessand it hasn't moved from thegarage sincethen and it looks like a15-year-old barn findat this time." BRANDON'S LIVEDHERE MORE THAN11 YEARS.

HE ALSO STARTEDHAVINGS ISUES LAST SUMMER.:54 "They run from 7 or 8 inthe morning tomaybe up to 10 o'clock at night,sometimesseven days a week." THE BLASTMEDIA HE'S SEEING ON HISPROPERTY IS ABRASIVE.IF YOU JUST WIPE IT OFF IT'LLRASCTCH THE PAINT.THE DUST AND NOISE EVEN AFFECTSHIS SOCILA LIFE.1:19 "It makes it so you can'tuse yourbackyard.

You can't have friendsandfamily over to grill out." THEAREA IS ZONED COMMERCIAL ANDRESIDENTIAL.

THIS MAP SHOSWJUST HOW CLOSE THEY LIVE TO THECOMPANY.

BRANDON ON THE LEFTGUY ON THE RIGHT.KALAMAZOO SANDBLAST IS LITERALLYRIGHT BETWEEN THEM.THEY STARTED SMALL IN NOVEMBERDAN DECEMBER.

FILING NOISECOMPLAINTS WITHCOMSTOCK TOWNSHIP.

2:53 "Theywere supposed to come outhere and inspect this hoopbuilding because they neverpulled the permit.

We actuallycontacted KABA the KalamazooAreaBuilding Authority and they havenot pulledthe permit for that building."THE TOWNSHIP CONFIRMED THEOWNER DOES NOT HAVE A PERMIT.BUT WHEN THEY CAME OUT FOR ANOISE COMPLAINT - FOUND NOVIOLATION.

THE NEIGHBORSTHEN CONTACTED THE EPA ANDMICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OFENVIRONMENT, GREAT LAKES, ANDENERGY.

EGLE VISITEDKALAMAZOO SANDBLAST IN JANUARY.10 DAYS LATER, IT ISSUED THISVIOLATION NOTICE.

SAYING THECOAMPNY DID NOTHAVE THE PROPER FILTERS, THEBUILDING WAS NOT AIR-TIGHT, ANDTHE SITE DID NOT HAVE A PERMITTO INSTALL.

EGLE SAYS THECOMPANY'S OWNERJOE CORNELIUS COMMITTED TOHAVIN TGHE BUILDING ENTIRELYENCLOSED AND AIRTIGHT BY MARCH26TH.

BUT WHEN THEAGENCY RETURNED TO THE SITE INAPRIL THAT WAS NOT THE CASE.SO, IT ISSUED A SECONDVIOLATION.

SHORTLY AFTER THATLETTER..KALAMAZOO SANDBLAST POSTED ONFACEBOOK..

SAYINGIT WAS UPGRADING ITS DUSTCOLLECTION AND FILTRATION SYSTEMTO STAY IN COMPLIANCE.

TWO DAYSLATER..

THE ATTORNEYREPRESENTING THE NEIGHBORSSENTA CEASE AND DECIST LETTER.ASKING THE COMPANY TO STOPOPERATING UNTIL IT CAME INTOCOMPLIANCE.ON MAY 11TH..

A JUDGE GRANTEDTHIS TEMPORARY RESTRAININGORDER FORCING THE BUSINESS TOSTOP OPERATING.THEN JUST THIS WEEK THE JUDGEISSUED A PRELIMINARYINJUCTION.

PROIHBITING ANYSANDBLASTING,PAINTING, OR OTHER UNLAWFULTACIVITIES UNTIL IT COMPLIEDWITHSTATE REGULATIONS AND LOCALORDINANCES.NATS OF KNOCKG INCORNELIUS WASNOT THERE WEHNWE STOPPED BY SO HE AGREED TOTALKWITH MEO VER ZOOM.

7:40 "Bothneighbors were ok with me untilwe got super busy and Iunderstand there'snoise, there's dust.

If we'renot making noisethen we're not making money."THE BUILDING ITSELF IS AGREEHOUSE STRUCTURE.

IT'S FRAMEDIN ON THE FRONT ANDBACK AND COVERED IN SHEETMETAL.

CORNELIUS TELLS ME THEPROPERTY SPECS AREDELAYING HIS UPGRADES.

AND HEKNOWS HE NEEDS A PERMIT.4:56 "We cannot ventilate orubuildingexternally because of how thiszoning is setup." BUTT TO 5:16"Basically we have to.

What wehave now is na exhaust fans thatblowdirectly into a bag house andthe baghouse right now it's sealed butit's basicallya wooden box that..

We have oneon orderbut they're 14 weeks out." HETELLS ME HE'S TRYING TO BE CIVILWITH HIS NEIGHBORS.

EVENOFFERING TO POWEARWSH THEIRHOMES AND PAY FOR CAR WASHES.BUT IT'S BEEN A SLOW PROCESSGETTING UP TO CODE.AND THEY'VE HAD A LOT OFDOWNTIMEAND HEADACHES WITH ALL THECOPLMAINTS.

9:20 "Just gowith the flow andeverything happens for a reasonso we're justgoing along with what we've gotto deal withright now and when we get backto workhopefully we'l lbe fully cleanedup aroundhere and in compliance." WHICHIS ALL HIS NIGEHBORS AREASKING.

HAVE THE RIGHT PERMITS,BE UP TO CODE, BE MOREVENTILATED AND QIUETER.

5:45"He needs to pull the permit toinstall, he needs to get theappropriate filtersand get the air-tight buildingso and thenget the noise down." 5:20"If he can be self-contaiend andbecompliant with the properfiltration youwouldn't be standing here." EGLEORGIINALLY GAVE THE COMPANYUNTIL MAY 6TH TO FIX THE ISSUES-BUT SAYS IT CAN BE FLEXIBLE IFTHERE'S A CREDIBLE REASONTO EXTEND THE DEADLINE.CORNELIUS TOLD THE AGENCY HESHOULD BE NI COMPLIANCE BY MAY31ST.

HE'S ALSO ASKINGFOR SOME EXEMPTIONS TO THE RULESHE VIOLATE.DFOR FOX 17 PROBLEM SOLVERS, I'MRYAN CUMMINGS.IF YOU'RE HAVING AN ISSUE THEPROBLEM SOLVERS SHOULD BE AWAREOF.

..Y.OU CAN CALL THEM AT THENUMBER ON YOURSCREEN... OR SEND AN EMAIL TO"PROBLEM SOLVERS AT FOX 17ONLINEDOT COM".