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By David
McLaughlin, News Staff Writer Toxics Action Center slapped the recycler with its "Dirty Dozen Award," citing contaminated groundwater around the landfill on the company's Hopkinton property and the threat its proposed recycling center has on nearby Cedar Swamp and private wells. The organization's award is a publicity boost for the residents group Cedar Swamp Conservation Trust, which nominated Harvey for the award and has been trying to stop the company from building its recycling center down the street from its Westborough headquarters. Harvey has applied for seven special permits from the Zoning Board of Appeals to build it. "Based on their track record, it would be foolish to allow the expansion to go forward without making sure the current problems are contained," said Toxics Action's Johanna Neumann. Harvey attorney Stephen Richmond said the Cedar Swamp group is "trying to create an impression of problems where there is none." Harvey is testing groundwater around the landfill and has agreed to pay for tests of private well water in the area. He said the Harvey landfill is no different than the 100 other municipal landfills closed since 1990. "We've never heard of Toxics Action Center before, and it appears they've been presented with one side of the story and have run it without checking with us," Richmond said. Neumann from Toxics Action Center said Harvey has "a long history of contamination at the site," and pointed to the landfill not being lined at its bottom and that groundwater around it was not monitored for more than 10 years after it was closed in the 1980s. Recent tests have also turned up lead levels above drinking water standards and high pH levels. As for the proposed recycling center, Neumann said the company's Hopkinton property is "just not appropriate" for it because the land is so close to the swamp and could pollute the land, which has been designated an "area of critical environmental concern." The Board of Health's environmental consultant agreed the landfill is a potential threat to the swamp and private wells in the area. Testing of those wells should start within three weeks. But the proposed recycling center, he said, is not a threat. "The proposed facility, if it's operated as it's been designed, it should be fairly benign," said Earth Tech's Jesse Schwalbaum, who went on to call the contamination from the landfill "not alarming." "We're not seeing high levels of industrial waste," he said. It was common for older landfills to be unlined, according to Schwalbaum, though he did fault Harvey for not monitoring the groundwater after it was closed. Toxics Action plans to hold a press conference outside Harvey's Westborough headquarters Thursday morning. State Sen. Pam Resor, D-Acton, is scheduled to be there, but she said her participation does not mean she agrees with the organization. "I've been listening to both sides of the issue," she said. "E.L. Harvey is trying to make sure they have a minimal impact, but it is a fragile area, an area of critical environmental concern." (Staff writer Michael Kunzelman contributed to this report. David McLaughlin can be reached at 508-626-4338 or at dmclaugh@cnc.com) |
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