Medfield Selectmen Talk NSTAR, SHERC Report on State Hospital

Medfield's Board of Selectmen, at Tuesday's meeting, expressed concern with the lack of communication between the town and NSTAR during last week’s . 

Although, as Town Administrator, Michael Sullivan, noted, “in the pas,t” NSTAR had always worked with and Public Works “to coordinate top priorities,” in the case of Tropical Storm Irene, “there was none of that coordination until well-after the storm.”

Sullivan explained the town’s displeasure was not directed at NSTAR crews, themselves, but at the breakdown of direct communication between the town and the utility.

Although, in the past, NSTAR had positioned a crew to work directly with town departments, during Irene the communication was restricted to “computer and voicemail."

Sullivan noted the town has requested a meeting with representatives from NSTAR “so we can sit down and discuss what we would like to see happen in the next storm.” In terms of the communication breakdown, Sullivan expressed the hope that NSTAR ”hopefully will get it squared away.”

SHERC's Report Regarding Medfield State Hospital Site:

John Thompson, a representative of SHERC (State Hospital Environmental Review Committee) presented the board with a report, which detailed the committee’s comments and concerns on the Division of Capital Asset Management (DCAM)’s planned actions in regard to the cleanup of hazardous waste materials from the former site.

While DCAM’s plan calls for “capping” the hazardous waste materials, coupled with regular monitoring of the site, the town would prefer that the state remove the materials.

Medfield would like to present DCAM with viable alternatives, which would, in the town’s opinion, be more effective and eliminate the possibility of having to “do something in an emergency fashion” should the monitoring indicate a problem.

“We’re asking the state to remove the waste that it placed in the wetlands, adjacent to the Charles River, over a period of 50 to 75 years,” Thompson stated.

The problem in offering an alternative to DCAM’s plan to “cap” the waste materials is the short “window” for when the work can be done, leaving little time for alternative suggestions. 

Depending on water levels in the Charles River and weather factors, DCAM has until Oct. 15 for completion of the work.

“What we haven’t been able to do, given the amount of time we’ve had, was to have engineers, on behalf of the town, take a look at what alternatives might be (available),” Thompson noted.

Should DCAM not be able to meet the Oct. 15 deadline, work could not resume until June 15, of next year, which would leave several months for the town to formulate and present an alternative plan.

One such plan would involve removal of contaminated soil from the Charles River and safely depositing it in designated areas on the property, itself.

A comment from the floor informed the Board that Congressman Stephen Lynch’s office has indicated their interest in the project. They have contacted the Army Corps. of Engineers, who would carry out the actual work and were told that the permit to begin the work is “not imminent.”

Should that information prove accurate, it was suggested the town would have time to convene a meeting to gather comment and to examine possible alternatives for presentation to DCAM. 

Thompson, when asked his opinion on DCAM’s willingness to receive an alternate solution replied, “If you come up with a rational plan that may cost less, I don’t see why they wouldn’t be open to that.”

He cautioned, however, that since bids were already out on a portion of the project, the focus would have to be on alternate plans for areas C&D of the site.

The selectmen agreed to proceed with plans to hold the suggested meeting, although they preferred the number of participants be limited.

“What I took away from the Worcester meeting,” Sullivan said, “was the meeting was so large that it would have been better to just have a small group of technical people together.”

Licenses and Permits:

In other business, several licenses and permits were granted for events being sponsored by the Lions Club, Hannah Adams Womens Club and the Council on Aging. Several requests to hold block parties were also granted.

Selectmen Reports: 

Selectman chair Osler "Pete" Peterson relayed that a request had come to him from a town business, which asked the town consider accepting recycling materials at the transfer station from private concerns.

Peterson thought the idea might provide a new stream of revenue for the town, as fees would be levied for use of the transfer station. 

Sullivan said it could be a risky endeavor, as the prices for recycling materials often fluctuate, which could mean the town could possibly pay more for its disposal than the revenue it received through fees.

Selectman Ann Thompson reminded the board that the topic had previously been discussed with the Solid Waste Committee but that “we could bring it up again.”