ROCKLAND — The Knox County Sheriff's Office has received calls querying origin of loud bangs and booms over the past weeks, sounding to some as explosives detonated in the middle of Knox County.

On Dec. 17, the sheriff's office heard a complaint from the North Union Road in Union, and according to Chief Deputy Tim Carroll, the same noise had been detected in Waldoboro and St. George.

"These extremely loud 'bangs' have been heard periodically throughout the middle of the county," he said, in a news release on Dec. 18.

The PenBay Pilot also received queries about the bangs on Dec. 18, with one Union resident describing the sound: "at 9:45 p.m. like a cannon going off next to our house.  It rattled the walls and caused us to jump to our feet.  Our neighbor said it rattled his house as well.  We're curious whether anyone else heard it in on Clarry Hill in Union, in nearby Warren or Waldoboro.  It didn't sound like a sonic boom to us."

Carroll said this evening that: "Thanks to a citizen who will remain anonymous, it has been discovered that the noise being heard and 'felt' in some cases as it is disturbingly loud is from products known as 'exploding targets' and is being detonated in gravel pits in Warren. This is a product that is purchased legally at sporting goods stores. 'Tannerite' is one of the brand names of this product. We are not aware at this time who the participants are, but feel it necessary to get the information out as soon as possible as we do not want to see anyone get hurt from this product. There are two potentially dangerous situations. The first being that the explosive product detonates by being shot at with a gun. The second, the explosion it creates has been described as "heart stopping" from the percussion it creates when it explodes. As stated the explosion last night was heard in Union and was detonated in Warren."

Tannerite is trademarked and is defined as an ammonium nitrate/aluminum powder based binary explosive. Binary explosives have been banned in Maryland. Binary explosives include two or more components that are sold with instructions on how to combine them to create a certain explosion.

He added: "The Knox County Sheriff's Office will proceed according to law in enforcing the efforts of trying to keep people safe. Hopefully, those using this product will see this and act accordingly. If anyone has any further information regarding this action please call the Knox County Sheriff's Office at 593-9132."