Potentially Dangerous Rockslides Being Monitored in Hudson Valley

Officials from the Hudson Valley are trying to figure out the cause of some major rockslides.

The Town of Ulster and Callanan Industries, in conjunction with state authorities, are monitoring a rockslide that occurred on Main Street, in the hamlet of East Kingston at Callanan Industries Inc.

A major rockslide occurred on July 25 and what's described as a minor rockslide happened last Friday, officials say.

"The rockslides appear to have been caused by the collapse of a historic cement mine opening (cave) on quarry property. These mine openings (caves) were created in the late 1800's by the extraction of cement rock," Town of Ulster Supervisor James Quigley said in a statement.

Callanan Industries was not conducting any blasting at the time of the rockslides, but on Monday suspended all blasting until the stability of the slopes overlooking Main Street can be determined, according to Quigley.

"Callanan has retained geotechnical consultants to study and analyze the conditions on the mountain overlooking Main Street to determine a proper course of action for future operations in the Quarry," Quigley said.

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On Saturday, concrete barriers were placed on the west side of Main Street as a precaution to prevent any rocks from entering or crossing the road should another event occur.

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