HUNTINGTON – Board of Health members Jean Jackman, Thomas Hart and Melissa Reid met with the Huntington Board of Selectmen on Wednesday to talk about needed infrastructure repairs at the transfer station.
Huntington Board of Health members Melissa Reid, Jean Jackman and Thomas Hart. Selectman Karon Hathaway is in foreground. (Photo by Amy Porter)
Hart said they sent out bids on repairing the MSW (municipal solid waste) compactor, which is leaking oil. He said they received two bids, but the compactor is 29 years old and not worth repairing. Reid said the single stream recycling compactor is three years old.
Selectmen chair Edward Renauld said the earliest that any money could be available for a compactor would be in December when the Free Cash is certified. However, he said they would have to call a special town meeting to get the funding approved. He asked how much a new compactor would cost, and was told $16,000.
Hart said a new concrete slab is also needed under the compactor. Selectman Karon Hathaway said bids are out on the concrete slab, which was previously approved.
Hart said the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recently sent an inspector to the transfer station, at his invitation. Reid said she was not told of the inspection, and therefore was not present.
A copy of the report detailing the inspection, performed by HRMC administrator Kathleen Casey was given to the Selectmen. The inspection, which was held on July 25 referred to the condition of the compactor, which the report described as adequate and maintained, and acceptable with corrective action.
Under corrective action, it was noted that the compactor had a pool of water sitting on the concrete pad beneath it with electrical conduits leading from the attendant shed, one of which was in the standing water. “This is a safety concern that needs to be addressed,” the report stated.
The letter also noted that the Board of Health submitted a transfer station certification in October 2016 to place a new concrete pad under the compactor to prevent the pooling of water, which was approved by the Mass. DEP. “The BOH should move forward with rectifying this safety issue,” Casey said in the report.
Casey also wrote that she observed an oily sheen on the surface of the water beneath the compactor. She wrote that the BOH should conduct a maintenance inspection of the compactor to confirm if the sheen is the result of a leak, and if so, address the problem before there is a larger spill.
Other corrective actions outlined in the report included working with the Department of Public Works to fill in low lying areas with standing water, and grading rough walking surfaces near the single-stream recycling bin. Other items included clearing debris around the sheds, and weed whacking. Altogether, out of 15 items on the list, seven required some correction action, and eight were acceptable with no corrective action.
Hart said the inspection of the compactor might require immediate replacement.
Renauld said the Board of Health has to plan in its budget to repair and replace equipment that breaks. He said budget meetings begin in March. “Going forward, let’s add it,” Renauld said.
