By Doug La Rocque
Berlin Town Supervisor Rob Jaeger announced to the Town Board at the August 25 workshop meeting that the state is willing to place a carbon filtration system at the pump site to cover all of the 182 users in Water District 2. New York has indicated it will assume all the costs including maintenance. [private]The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Department of Health (DOH) had earlier indicated they where willing to install the system at the Berlin Elementary School, but after further discussions deemed it more sensible to place the filters at the source, so all of the Water District users would get the benefit.
The proposal does however, raise some concerns, primarily about space and access. Water District 2 Commissioner Jim Winn said the entrance road to the pump house could not accommodate the size of the vehicles needed to bring in the carbon filter, and that the facility itself is not big enough to house the filter system. Winn, who attended an informal meeting with the DEC and DOH last Friday along with Supervisor Jaeger, asked if the State would be willing to assume the cost of upgrading the access and facility size as well. Another concern is water pressure. The carbon filter system the State is installing in Hoosick Falls and Petersburgh, does tend to reduce the pressure somewhat. Winn’s primary concern with this is users who already have some pressure problems, in particular those at elevations higher than the reservoir. Supervisor Jaeger made it clear he in no way wanted to diminish the legitimate concerns of PFOAs in drinking water, but also tried to put the matter in perspective. The level of PFOA in Berlin’s drinking water has averaged around 7 parts per trillion. At the end of the meeting, the Board voted to accept the State’s offer and awaits a formal proposal from it that addresses its concerns.
Petersburgh/Berlin Landfill
At that same meeting, DEC informed the Town they are designating the now closed landfill as a potential hazardous waste site that may require a Superfund designation. The landfill once shared by the two towns, has been found to be leaching PFOA into a nearby stream which flows into the Little Hoosic River. The “P-Site” status allows the DEC to expend funds to investigate the level of contamination. Berlin’s recently hired Environmental Attorney Kevin Young, has the town searching for insurance policies they may have had in the 1960s. Unlike more modern policies, these may have liability coverage for this.
One of the major questions surrounds Energy Answers Corporation (EAC), the company hired to close the landfill. According to Jaeger, the contract allowed EAC to bring in refuse from as far as 100 miles away to generate revenue to pay for the closure. The company was required to keep strict records as to where this refuse came from, but questions about the accuracy of these records and how far away the waste was hauled in from have been raised. A lot more research will be required, and DEC has not given any timetable on this. Jaeger has expressed confidence in their attorney’s ability to protect the town in this matter.[/private]