By Doug La Rocque
It was just two weeks ago that Berlin Town Supervisor Rob Jaeger reported to the Town Board that at an informal meeting held with the NYS Departments of Environmental Conservation and Health, the State had offered to put a carbon filtration system on the District 2 water supply to serve all its users, not just Berlin Elementary School. [private] At the September 8 meeting of the Board, Jaeger reported he had recently seen an interview with DEC Region 4 Director Keith Goertz in which Goertz said they planned to install the filtration system at the school. Jaeger said as far as he knows, the School Board has yet to be notified. He said he is uncertain what the DEC’s intention is. Jaeger wondered if the difficulties and expense of placing such a system at Berlin’s pump house may have come into play. It was recently noted by District 2 Water Commissioner Jim Winn that the pump house would have to be enlarged and the access road improved before any such filtration system could be installed. Jaeger also is concerned about two possible side effects of the filtration system. He said the carbon filters sometimes increase the level of arsenic in the water, requiring an additional filter to deal with that. He said the filters also tend to promote the growth of algae, something that is not currently a problem for the town. The state’s most recent test of the Berlin water system showed 11.5 parts per trillion of PFOAs. EPA had set the threshold for health concerns at 70 ppt.
Berlin Locates Old Insurance Policies, Gives Them To Attorney
After DEC designated the former Petersburgh/Berlin landfill a potential Superfund site, both towns hired environmental attorney Kevin Young to defend their interests. He has urged them to find insurance policies from the 1960s and 70s that may include provisions for coverage of such problems as PFOAs leaching from the site. Jaeger said Town Clerk Anne Maxon has been able to locate these policies and they have been forwarded to Young for review. Technically, Petersburgh and Berlin as owners of the former landfill are responsible for the cost of cleaning up the site, But Goertz said last week he doesn’t “envision” the Towns being stuck with the cost. It is not yet clear what the clean-up might entail, what the cost will be, or who will pay. A major investigation will be undertaken this fall, and only after that is completed will the DEC decide what remediation is necessary.
A company called Energy Answers, hired to close the landfill, brought in a lot of garbage as part of that process and attorneys for all parties concerned are trying to find out more about the details of that.
Another Rabies Clinic in October
Dog Control Officer Doug Goodermote has set up the fall clinic for Thursday, October 20. As has been recent practice, cats will be vaccinated between 6 and 7 pm, with dogs from 7 to 8 pm. The cost is $10 cash and the clinic is open to residents of all area towns. Goodermote has also donated a trailer to the Fourth of July Parade Committee, which Jaeger said they will refurbish. The committee plans to store parade equipment such as signs and safety cones on the trailer, and use it to place and pick up the paraphernalia before and after the parade. The trailer will be stored in one of the buildings at the Town complex. Following the reading of bills and a motion to pay these bills, the meeting was adjourned.[/private]