SOUTHWICK – The town has a few loose ends to tie-up and paperwork to file on the former town landfill.
Department of Public Works Director Randy Brown and Town Counsel Benjamin Coyle met with the Southwick Select Board Dec. 7 via zoom and relayed details of their discussion last week with Dan Hall of Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
The DEP reached out to Brown last year with minor concerns about the landfill, which was closed sometime in the late 80s and early 90s, according to Brown. The brush landfill’s closing paperwork fell through the cracks at the time.
“They want to close the book on it,” Brown said. “Why this is coming up 30 years later is because Dan said the DEP does full reviews of communities every so often, and last year they did a review of Southwick.”
RANDY BROWN
Southwick DPW Director
Brown said they did not find “significant issues” but there are a few items to address, including a continuous ground water monitoring plan.
“The town needs to install four monitoring wells and sample and test for contaminants and hazardous materials twice a year,” he said. “Dan said after a couple of years the requirement would go down to once a year, then every other year.”
Chief Administrative Officer Karl Stinehart asked about a proposed cell tower nearby and how it would be affected.
“The cell tower will have its own similar order,” said Coyle.
Brown said another minor concern is with compost. Public Works has used a section of the former landfill for a compost site, which Hall said had to be relocated.
Brown also said that the DEP requires a hardened surface over the landfill. Brown said it could be compressed millings, which the town has.
“Is this something Crestview could do for us?” asked Stinehart. “We have a supply of milling – could they put it down and compact it?”
Brown said they could, however, they could also accomplish the task in-house.
Hall said the Dep timeline for the hardened surface completion and relocation of compost is September 2022. The scope of work completion is slated for September of 2021.
“Dan did say that they will consider alternative dates,” Brown said, adding that the DEP did not imply the town had done “anything improper.”
Selectman Russell Fox agreed to work with Brown and Coyle on the issues and schedule.
