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In the News:
— Beyond Berkshire County
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| Mayor plans to sell part of Burbank Park?
According to the Pittsfield Gazette, on the agenda for the April 11 City Council meeting in Pittsfield is an item where Mayor Ruberto is asking the council to authorize the sale of 2.69 acres of Burbank Park on the easterly side of Valentine Road. There is no explanation offerred. |
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| Cheshire could get 44 new houses
Edwin H. Clairmont of Gulf Farm filed a plan with the town of Cheshire on March 7 for Mountainview Development, a residential construction project on the west side of Stewart White Road, that could see 22 houses built over the next decade. Located near Route 116, the development would have a paved road, Mountainview Drive, and would require long-term improvements to Stewart White Road. The Cheshire Planning Board will have a public hearing on Monday, April 10 at 8 p.m. on the second floor of Town Hall. The application claims there will be minimal impacts to other properties from surface-water runoff, no large-scale clearing of land, and no significant effect on the school district’s enrollment figures. Also under consideration are a preliminary application submitted by Francis A. Waterman Jr. for a nine-lot, 36-acre subdivision on Wells Road, and a proposed development by Richard Solis of Dalton for 13 residential lots between Sand Mill Road and Route 116. On Feb. 27, the Planning Board discussed Waterman’s proposal, but postponed a decision until questions from neighbors about the subdivision’s possible effect on stormwater drainage and their wells have been answered. All the subdivision plans are public records, available at Town Hall during business hours. |
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| Mount Everett awarded DCR’s first conservation management plan
The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation’s (DCR) Stewardship Council adopted their first Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the Mount Everett State Reservation Summit. The plan addresses the management needs for the pitch pine ecosystem and unique ecology of the 105-acre summit of the reservation located in the town of Mount Washington in the southwest corner of the Berkshires. |
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| MASSWILDLIFE ADVISORY
WHAT: Public Invited to Comment on Forest Conservation Management Practices for Rare Species, Sturbridge WHERE: Sturbridge Host Hotel & Conference Center, 366 Main Street (Rte 20), Sturbridge WHEN: Thursday, April 13, 2006 6:30- 9:30 PM BACKGROUND: Five Forestry Conservation Management Practices (CMPs) have been developed for the following state-listed species protected under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act (MESA): Box Turtle, Spotted Turtle, Wood Turtle, Blue-spotted Salamander, Jefferson Salamander, Marbled Salamander and the Common Loon. Forestry CMPs are specific, science-based guidelines for conducting timber harvesting within known habitats for species protected under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act (MESA). Landowners typically support conservation of state-listed species but they also need the ability to maintain their land in forest use by periodically harvesting renewable wood products. The CMPs describe how forest harvests can occur so that state-listed species are conserved. To comment on the draft CMPs, interested citizens can attend the public meeting and comment verbally or submit written comments at the meeting, and/or send comments in an email to cmp.comments@state.ma.us or in letter form addressed to: Forestry CMP Comments; MassWildlife-NHESP, 1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough MA 01581, Attn: Leslie Bol. Written comments must be submitted on or before April 28, 2006. For more details on the draft CMPs, visit the MassWildlife website. The goal of the CMPs is to protect state-listed species populations and maintain their habitats for long-term population viability, while providing for sustainable management of Massachusetts’ forestlands. Private and public forest landowners and managers will benefit from “up front” information about mitigation that will ultimately be needed for approval of Forest Cutting Plans (FCPs) that occur in habitat for state-listed rare species. In the past, FCPs involving state-listed species have sometimes been returned to landowners with unanticipated requirements for mitigation that altered timing of harvesting operations, changed harvest volumes, and/or revised stream and wetland crossings. MassWildlife, in collaboration with the Department of Conservation and Recreation, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst’s Department of Natural Resources Conservation (DNRC) and UMass Extension, prepared the draft CMP documents for the above state-listed species. A biologist was contracted to research and prepare working drafts of CMPs that have been revised during regular meetings of staff from the agencies listed above. Various stakeholder groups have been informed about this on-going process, including the Massachusetts Wood Producers Association, the Massachusetts Association of Professional Foresters, the Massachusetts Chapter of the Society of American Foresters, the Massachusetts Forester Licensing Board, and the Massachusetts Forestry Committee. Subscribe to MassWildlife News, a free electronic monthly newsletter updating you on research, events, new laws and other agency activities. All you need to do is send an email to: MassWildlife serves you from the District Office in Pittsfield 413/447-9789 |
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| PCBs and Dioxins possible culprit for changing human sex ratios?
Professor Shanna Swan of the University of Rochester, New York, not far from Sarnia Reservation, says that levels of contamination on the reservation are “incredible” and that the “first assumption” must be that they are to blame for far fewer male babies that expected being born. She believes that changing sex ratios may often provide an indication of dangerous pollution, and that low levels of exposure to such ubiquitous chemicals as dioxins and PCBs may explain the decline in boys in industrialised countries. |
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| Truck Drivers beware: Turn Engines Off When Not Rolling – Cars, too!
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) announced today that it has cited 10 truck operators – nine companies and a hospital – for keeping stopped vehicles running in violation of a state law that limits most engine idling to five minutes or less. This law applies to cars, too! ( Local Idle Free Campaign) MassDEP inspectors identified the violators during an enforcement sweep of neighborhood streets, shopping centers, truck terminals, and distribution facilities last fall in 10 communities – none in the Berkshires. Twelve of 50 trucks observed were found to be idling too long during stops. Given weather conditions and how the trucks were being used at the time, MassDEP inspectors determined that running their engines for more than five minutes was “unnecessary” and therefore in violation of the idling law. MassDEP is requiring the 10 truck operators it cited for violations to provide driver training so their employees will know what the law requires and how people’s health can be affected by excessive idling:
State law and MassDEP regulations limit vehicle idling to no more than five minutes in most cases. A vehicle may idle longer only if absolutely necessary. The law applies to both diesel and gasoline vehicles. It includes exceptions for vehicles that are being serviced, making deliveries that require power for refrigeration, and operating power accessories. MassDEP, police departments, and local boards of health are empowered to enforce the state’s idling restrictions. Last spring and the previous fall, MassDEP conducted a statewide crackdown on engine idling violations by school bus operators, observing 651 buses at 56 elementary, middle, and high schools. Three companies were cited for repeated violations, and a number of non-compliance notices were issued, but excessive idling dropped significantly between the first and second rounds of inspections in part due to training the agency provided to school bus operators across the state. The agency has also developed an Idling Reduction Toolkit to help Massachusetts’ towns and cities combat air pollution from unnecessary vehicle idling. MassDEP is planning a second round of truck inspections over the next couple of months. The agency is also working to reduce smoke from buses, trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles by requiring them to undergo emissions testing every other year and by requiring new diesel engines sold in Massachusetts to meet stringent California emission standards. |
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| Great Barrington Fairgrounds MEPA review
The Secretary of the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA) has issued a Certificate (pdf) on the Environmental Notification Form (ENF) for the $38 million proposal to develop the Great Barrington Fairgrounds. The Certificate contains the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) findings on the ENF. We have not seen the Certificate yet, but we have been told that it requires the proponents to file an Environmental Impact Report (EIR). An EIR is a much more thorough report detailing the environmental impacts of the proposed development. BEAT applaud’s the Secretary’s decision, and we look forward to reading the entire Certificate. Below is background information on this project: F Group LLC, a group of New York City investors, has proposed construction of a 100-room hotel, 60 condominiums, an events facility and retails space on the fairgrounds property. The property includes about 57 acres of floodplain along the Housatonic River. See related Berkshire Eagle story. The developers have prepared an Environmental Notification Form (ENF) that triggers a Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) review of the environmental impacts of the proposed development. The public is welcome to comment as well. For copies of the developer’s ENF call The purpose of MEPA is to bring to the table all the important information about the site and the proposed development. The review can find that the ENF (and subsequent submittals by the applicant before the Certificate is issued) was insufficient to determine the environmental impacts – in which case the proponent would have to start all over again. Or the Certificate can require a more complete environmental review, by calling for an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) – usually done in two phases; a draft and a final report. Or the Certificate can find that the ENF adequately describes the potential impacts and the other reviews can proceed. The company’s principals are Anthony Errico and Anthony Fauci. Fauci is married to the former Elaine Ward, whose family owns Ward’s Nursery. The company has a contract to buy the property from fairgrounds owner Henry D. Vara of Boston. The engineering firm Fuss & O’Neill prepared the report, which indicates potential impact on rare plant and animal species on the property as well as close proximity to the flood-plain area. There will also be an increase in traffic with an estimated 8,594 car trips per day going in and out of the complex. The fairgrounds project will require layers of review by town boards, but no zoning variances. The will be a review by the town’s Conservation Commission, and a special permit is required from the Selectmen. EOEA No. 13735, The Fairgrounds Mixed-Use Development Project, Great Barrington |
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| Environmental Investing makes money and enemies
Last year, Goldman established an environmental policy, vowing to take steps to protect forests and curb development that boosts emissions of greenhouse gasses. The firm pledged to invest US$1 billion in renewable energy, form an environmental think tank and post research on environmental issues. Yet following a year of record earnings and revenue last year, with strong gains in every business line, Paulson spent much of Goldman’s annual shareholder meeting in Manhattan responding to two shareholder groups who opposed the environmental policy. |
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| Great Barrington Paper Company Assessed $19,250 Fine For Discharges into Housatonic River The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has penalized Fox River Paper Company, LLC of Great Barrington for violating the state’s Sanitary Sewer Discharge regulations. The two violations, which both occurred in the summer of 2005, resulted in discharges to the Housatonic River. On June 14, 2005, Great Barrington Wastewater Treatment Plant operators observed a red effluent plume at the confluence of the treatment plant outfall and the Housatonic River. The red dye, ultimately traced to Fox River Paper Company, was the result of a color pass through incident attributed to residual dye that washed through Fox River’s effluent waste stream. On Saturday, August 20, 2005, the Great Barrington Wastewater Treatment Plant experienced another “color pass through incident” caused by the discharge of red dye from Fox River Company. The red dye entered and passed through the treatment plant and into the Housatonic River, causing a red plume that extended over 600 feet downstream of the treatment plant. In addition to paying a $12,000 penalty, the company will implement operational improvements to its equipment and processes in order to prevent future discharges. An additional $7,250 was suspended pending compliance with these provisions. In 2002, MassDEP cited Fox River for a similar discharge, which the company paid a penalty. |
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| Corning Develops Heavy Metal-Free Glass Tuesday March 21, 6:51 pm ET By Ben Dobbin, AP Business Writer Corning Develops Heavy Metal-Free Glass That Will Trim Production, Recycling Costs ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) — A heavy metal-free glass developed by Corning Inc. will trim production and recycling costs at a time when prices for the super-thin screens used in liquid-crystal-display televisions are falling more sharply than ever. Corning said Tuesday its Eagle XG glass is the first in the LCD industry to be completely free of arsenic as well as other heavy metals such as barium and antimony and halides like chlorine and fluorine. Those can produce potentially harmful byproducts during manufacturing. |
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| Judges Overturn Bush Bid to Ease Pollution Rules
By MICHAEL JANOFSKY – Published: March 18, 2006 NY Times WASHINGTON, March 17 — A federal appeals court on Friday overturned a clean-air regulation issued by the Bush administration that would have let many power plants, refineries and factories avoid installing costly new pollution controls to help offset any increased emissions caused by repairs and replacements of equipment. <more> BEAT note: especially good news for downwind states such as Massachusetts |
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| EPA won’t make GE clean up Newell St. parking lot
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said at a March 15th Citizens Coordinating Council meeting, that it will not ask General Electric Co. (GE) to investigate what is under the Newell Street parking lot. There is continuing remediation at the Western Mass. Electric Company property abutting the parking lot, with 583 crushed or partial barrels, 371 drums worth of capacitors, and 34 barrels containing some liquid or solids having been removed so far. EPA estimates the removal is 70% complete. GE will follow any “vein” of capacitors or barrels they find into the parking lot, but they will not go looking for what else might be under there. The EPA feels that the percentage of PCB oil that would be found, compared with the amount they know is 40 or so feet below this site is so small that it is not worth the work. BEAT thinks that is depressing! Why not clean up what you can relatively easily reach. If it were in a “clean” area all those contaminated barrel remnants and capacitors would be considered a major problem. It is just in comparison with the bigger mess that this seems small. EPA estimates that there is probably 100,000 gallons of dense PCB oil below the site. So far, GE has pumped out over 36,000 gallons of this oil. The pumping stopped in June of 2005 while the WMECo property is being worked on, but the pumping will resume when the remediation work permits. There are monitoring wells that extend down about 15 feet below ground level into the water table. Ground water flows toward the river and these wells allow EPA to see what concentration of PCBs are being detected flowing toward the river in the location of the wells – between the Newell Street dumping areas and the river. On several separate occasions levels of PCBs above the GW3 standard have been detected. GW3 is the ground water standard that sets what is an “acceptable” level of contamination for water in the river. |
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| Please comment on proposed Perchlorate standards
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) released their proposed drinking water and waste site cleanup standards for the chemical perchlorate, which has been found in drinking water sources at 10 locations across the state including a well at Mount Greylock Regional High School in Williamstown. (Mount Greylock has drilled a new well which has been tested and certified.) The new proposed state standard is 2 parts per billion (ppb) – up from MassDEP’s previous guidance of 1 ppb.
BEAT believes in the Precautionary Principle, basically err on the side of caution. We feel that in setting their initial guidance, MassDEP erred on the side of caution. Perchlorate has been found to interfere with thyroid function, which could lead to impaired human development and metabolism. Infants are thought to be particularly at risk because they do not have the ability to store thyroid hormones like adults. Perchlorate is not naturally found in soil and groundwater, therefore any level is alarming. While there may be no evidence of harm at levels of 2.0 ppb, we see no benefit in RAISING the limit. We therefore ask the state to return to a 1.0 ppb limit for perchlorate in soil and groundwater. You can send comments to David Terry, Drinking Water Program, One Winter Street, Sixth Floor, Boston, MA 02108, (617) 292-5529. Your comments do not need to be technical. The more people who write, the more the state regulators know we are all watching! Perchlorate is a chemical that can be found in blasting agents, fireworks, military munitions, and other manufacturing processes, and can be generated in small amounts within existing water treatment processes. The proposed regulations require regular testing for perchlorate in all public water systems, and parties responsible for perchlorate contamination to cleanup the contamination to contain no more than 2 ppb of perchlorate. Attempts to set a federal drinking water standard for perchlorate have been stymied by political pressure from the Department of Defense and industry lobbying efforts. The state’s proposed drinking water standard is lower than what was proposed last year by an independent National Academies of Sciences panel. Based on that panel’s report, the EPA has set a ”preliminary cleanup goal” of 24.5 parts per billion – a guideline to be used for cleanup programs in states that have not adopted their own standards. If a state standard is more demanding than the EPA’s, the state standard prevails. According to the state’s updated perchlorate health assessment, the DEP rejected the National Academies’ recommendation in part because of uncertainty concerning the effect of perchlorate in breast milk. Massachusetts’ concerns for infant populations have been echoed by the Children’s Health Advisory Committee, which is affiliated with the EPA. Last week, the panel urged the agency to rethink its 24.5 parts per billion guideline. That level is not protective of children’s health and should be lowered to account for infant exposure, committee members wrote in a letter to EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson. Full copies of the proposed regulations are available on MassDEP’s web site. The public comment period will run from April 10 until May 12, and will include six public hearings at sites in the state: * April 10 – 5 p.m., Peebles Elementary School gymnasium, 70 Trowbridge Road, Bourne. Persons planning to give oral testimony at the hearing are encouraged to provide a written summary thereof. Written comments by any person may be submitted before, during, or after the hearing, but no later than May 12, 2006 when the hearing record will close. Questions about the hearing and public comments on the proposed regulations should be directed to David Terry, Drinking Water Program, One Winter Street, Sixth Floor, Boston, MA 02108, (617) 292-5529. Full copies of the proposed regulations are available on MassDEP’s web site. |
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| PCB Blood Tests for students, teachers, and parents?
PITTSFIELD 4/11 According to a Berkshire Eagle article — Members of the Allendale Elementary School community will soon be able to have state-funded tests to determine the PCB levels in their blood. The DPH announced last December that it would offer free blood tests to children, teachers and parents. The department has been working to develop a protocol that would provide accurate analysis and put the results in context so that the subjects can understand what the numbers mean. Allendale Principal Ann Kuhn said yesterday [4/10] that she expects the school to send a letter to parents and teachers this week, informing them of the program and providing a Department of Public Health number to call if they are interested. <more> previously Pittsfield’s Pediatricians Protest PCBs Two Pittsfield pediatricians, Dr. Richard Rosenfeld and Dr. Siobhan McNally urged the City Council and Mayor James M. Ruberto to stop the dumping of PCB-contaminated waste at two toxic waste sites right behind Allendale Elementary School. Rosenfeld told the council that a letter addressed to Mayor Ruberto(pdf) summarizing recent PCB research and detailing the reasons why the pediatricians believe the children and staff at Allendale School are at risk. All of Pittsfield’s pediatricians signed a letter to Mayor James M. Ruberto urging the community to speak out against the two PCB dumps. McNally, co-chairwoman of the Massachusetts American Academy of Pediatrics Environmental Health Committee, gave a three-minute presentation detailing the risks of PCB-contamination. “I think it’s important to emphasize that PCBs have no margin of safety and given the fact that PCB levels at Allendale Elementary School have been above background level, I think we need to take this under serious consideration,” she said. State and federal officials have maintained that tests conducted at Allendale have shown little or no detectable levels of PCBs and that the school is safe, but McNally said that prenatal research has shown that exposure to low levels of PCBs have been linked to very serious health effects that have been documented in medical journals. Based on this documentation, McNally said the state Department of Public Health has received funding to do an environmental tracking study on developmental disabilities in Berkshire County children to see if there are any links to PCB contaminant data. Rosenfeld said he and McNally had also decided to address the council to advocate on behalf of the Allendale Task Force, a group of parents and teachers from the elementary school. “The Allendale Task Force believes that every child has the right to attend an environmentally safe school,” Rosenfeld said. “Despite the assurances from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Public Health, we believe that this is not possible.” Rosenfeld and McNally advised the city council and the mayor to call on GE and the EPA to stop the dumping and cap the dump sites, “until a safer alternative for the disposal and/or treatment of PCB residues and other toxins can be found.” |
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| MEPA Site Visit at Former Bradlees in Pittsfield 3/23
An Expanded Environmental Notification Form (EENF) has been submitted to the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) office for this project. The project involves the renovation of an existing shopping center that was originally opened in the 1960s as a Bradlees Department Store. The proposed renovation includes demolition of the 13,500 square foot retail space at the north end of the Bradlees structure, plus about 11,500 square feet of the Bradlee’s building shell; renovation of the remaining Bradlees structure into 3 new retail facilities; the addition of 15,000 square feet of new retail space attached to the north end of the renovated Bradlees shell; and the construction of a new 3,900 square foot freestanding structure. An existing freestanding restaurant and bank will remain at the site. The first 3 pages of the ENF can be viewed in pdf format. The project exceeds Mandatory Environmental Impact Report (EIR) thresholds related to traffic, however the proponent is requesting a Full Waiver from the EIR requirement. A traffic report has been submitted with the EENF. A site visit and consultation meeting was held on March 23 to receive advice and comments from agencies, officials, and citizens regarding which environmental issues, if any, are significant for this project. Opinions as to the extent and significance of possible environmental impact will be welcome. The merits of the proponent’s request for a waiver will also be considered. Comments on this project (EOEA #13747) will be welcome in writing prior to April 7th, 2006. A Certificate on the ENF will be issued on April 14th, 2006. Project Contact: David Thompson, Coler & Colantonio, Inc. Pursuant to the requirements of the Americans With Disabilities Act, this Meeting Notice is available in alternative formats upon request. Questions on the meeting may be answered by contacting Briony Angus, MEPA Analyst at (617) 626-1029. Briony Angus, EOEA #13747 |
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| Housatonic River ‘Model Validation’ Report Released for Public Review& Comment
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released the “Model Validation The Model Validation Report is the final in a series of five reports The Model is designed to reproduce conditions in the Housatonic River The public is invited to review and comment on the Modeling Validation The full text of the Charge for the Model Validation, the Model Copies of the Model Validation Report and the full text of the Charge
Comments should be faxed, emailed or mailed by April 6, 2006 to: Beth Nerrie Fax: 703-516-9108 BEAT’s note: BEAT thinks there are some real problems with the Model. The “validation” shows that the model does NOT adequately reflect PCB fate and transport, especially in the area of Woods Pond. The model also does not accurately reflect the levels of PCBs that accumulate in fish. |
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| New Species of Millipede Discovered by BCC Student
During a recent field trip to northeastern Costa Rica, Kate Edwards, an 18-year-old Berkshire Community College (BCC) student discovered a new species of millipede. Edwards, a recent graduate from New Lebanon (N.Y.) Central High School, was on a January field trip to Costa Rica as part of BCC’s tropical ecosystems course, taught by professors Tom Tyning and Tim Flanagan. A total of 10 students participated in the trip. During the trip, the class went out to explore the Caribbean slope. Edwards, who has a deep interest in herpetology, was looking for elusive low-laying pit vipers when she spotted a familiar shape crawling along a rotten log. Edwards’ species will be the third new species of millipede to be found in Costa Rica in recent years. The other two were discovered by Edwards’ friend and colleague Mike Boston, an Irish biologist, who also acts as a naturalist guide on the Osa Peninsula, where he discovered his species. The Osa Peninsula is located in the southwest corner of Costa Rica, miles from the Caribbean slope. The two geographies produce different habitats for the millipedes: Boston’s were found in dense untouched “primary” forests, while Edwards’ find was in a less dense secondary forest. “It really ticks me off when an 18-year-old, second-semester, BCC student looks down at the ground and says, ‘Hey, I think these are something different,’ ” joked Tyning at a recent presentation to the college’s Board of Trustees. He added that he was very proud to have Edwards as a student. In addition to being an environmental science professor, Tyning is a well known herpetologist, having authored several books and worked with Mass Audubon for nearly |
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| Lakeside Restaurant violation
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has issued a Unilateral Administrative Order (UAO) and a penalty assessment notice totaling $27,300 to Lakeside Restaurant Inc. for violation of the Massachusetts Clean Water Act. The order requires the closed Route 8 restaurant to immediately pump and then abandon the existing failed Title 5 sewage disposal system, to upgrade an existing second system and to pay the penalty. Mass DEP investigated a complaint and found sewage flowing from a tank that was supposed to have been abandoned into an adjacent wetland. A second system built in 2002 was undersized, improperly installed, improperly maintained, and not properly permitted – it was installed in a public water supply protection zone. Thank you to whoever turned in this violation! <Berkshire Eagle story> |
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| Adams Greylock Glen proposal moves forward
Greylock Glen, the 1,063-acre site at the foot of Mount Greylock in Adams, could be developed by the town if it is chosen as the “designated developer” following a public meeting tentatively scheduled for March 30, at 6:30 p.m., at the town library. The town submitted plans including a multi-use trail system, an environmental education center, a performing arts amphitheater, a camping area, and a lodging and meeting facility, for Greylock Glen to the state in September 2004. In addition, nearly 1,000 acres would be permanently protected. Mass Audubon, Appalachian Mountain Club, Mass MoCA, and Mass. College of Liberal Arts have all shown support this proposal. The plan needs approval from state agencies such as the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Mass Development and the Division of Capital Asset Management, along with a review through the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act, and the town needs to reach disposition, development, and lease agreements with the state, which owns the land. For more than two decades, Greylock Glen has been the subject of debates between the town and the state and between development supporters and environmentalists. Earlier plans for the site included casino gambling and a golf course. |
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| Filters with possible PCB evidence, thrown away
The filters from the air exchange machines at the Allendale Elementary School have apparently been thrown away. Tim Gray, Director of the Housatonic River Initiative, said Board of Health Director Philip Adamo reiterated last week, when the state Department of Public Health held a meeting at the school, that these filters would not be changed. According to the Berkshire Eagle article: Superintendent of Schools Katherine E. Darlington said that the air filters inside the school were supposed to be changed in December, and that school custodians changed them during school vacation last week as part of their regular maintenance. “It was part of the routine maintenance that was going to be done,” Darlington said. Darlington, who did not attend last week’s meeting, was unaware of any agreement to save the filters. David Martindale of California Avenue, whose daughter attends Allendale, said he was both “angry” and “incensed” that the air filters had been disposed of. “This is a travesty,” he said. “Everybody talks about data, and now the last piece has been thrown out. It seems very convenient that this happened. It’s not like it was a big secret that we didn’t want the filters changed.” School staff members known as the “Allendale Safety Committee” released a written statement yesterday expressing their frustration at the most recent turn of events. “We are frustrated and disturbed by the lack of communication between our city officials and state agencies,” the committee’s statement read. “There is no one person overseeing the PCB issue at Allendale school. As a result, different groups are unaware of what others are doing. |
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