News

DEP: Work on landfill ends in May

State says liner to be finished this month, odors will stop

By Katie Farrell Lovett
Staff writer
Published: November 6, 2009

NEWBURYPORT — The Crow Lane landfill will be fully capped by the end of May, and a post-closure plan will be filed with the state by mid-June, state Department of Environmental Protection representatives told the City Council last night.

DEP northeast regional director Richard Chalpin and John Carrigan, a section chief at the Northeast Regional DEP office, updated the councilors and landfill neighbors about the closure process while also looking ahead to the future.

The liner should be fully in place, including the small area still missing, by the end of November, Carrigan said. Once that is in place, it should abate the odors coming from the landfill.

The completion of the capping is slated for May 30, with a post-closure plan being submitted by June 15, he added.

New Ventures, the owner and operator of the landfill, is required to submit a post-closure report, which will also be given to the city for public review and response. The document will include a post-closure maintenance plan and estimated cost. Additional elements will be included as well, Carrigan said, such as a time length for the maintenance and monitoring of the berm.

Bruce Vogel, of Myrtle Avenue, asked what happens once the landfill is capped.

"Do we get handed the keys to this thing after it's all done?" he asked. "Who owns it?"

New Ventures is the owner, Carrigan responded. If the company does walk away from its obligation, the state will take it over and access accounts and funds, becoming responsible for making sure it is properly maintained.

As planting and vegetation can't be finished until the spring, the liner will be exposed for about eight months, he said, assuring councilors that the material can last if exposed to sun without degrading.

City councilors raised questions on the boring tests that were done several months ago without a plan for the berm construction being finalized.

Ward 5 Councilor Brian Derrivan said negotiations on a berm design should stop and a plan should be issued.

"There's no question in my mind, it's always been about the money," he said. "I don't think I'm the only person who thinks that. Why do we have to negotiate with him?"

Without the report being released, there is a perception that there's a problem with the berm, he said.

Chalpin said the process is not a negotiation but a review process to make sure the design is the right one.

Construction on the berm won't start until the warmer weather arrives, Carrigan said, as it can't be done during the winter months.

Health director Jack Morris said he anticipates that blasting could occur at the site soon, which is needed to remove some of the bedrock. DEP said they plan to give neighbors at least a few days notice when it will be happening, and Mayor John Moak said the city can issue a automated phone message for that area, if given enough notice.

A firefighter is required to be on site when blasting occurs, and the Fire Department must issue a permit, Morris said. The blasting will be in a limited area, Chalpin said.

Councilors also asked for the results of air and water tests that were performed at the site. Carrigan said the results will be posted on the DEP Web site by next week.

Contaminants that were found at the landfill are not unusual and are often found at landfills, he said. No immediate red flags have been raised, he said, adding that the data is still being reviewed. Once the data is put on the state's Web site, there can be further discussion, he said.

"There are things that you normally expect to find at a site like this," Carrigan said. "I'm not trying to dodge the question. I'm trying to answer in a fair manner."

With concerns raised about a new "burnt" odor in the city, Carrigan said testing was done and complaints of a similar smell were reported in Everett, where New Ventures transported capping materials from its waste facility in that city. Most likely, that may have been the source, he said.

Ron Klodenski, a landfill abutter, was one of numerous neighbors who attended the meeting.

"I do have some hope that we're getting closer," he said. "I guess I am somewhat optimistic."

Landfill odors have been absent over the last several days, he said.

"Let's hope it continues," he added.