Larry Bruce for Andover Selectman

Our spending priorities are wrong!

Each year Andover raises our taxes and gives us less

Our streetlights have been shut off yet we have a new meals tax at local restaurants

The incumbent Selectmen have failed us on our most important problems

Our Town Government is

Irresponsible!

Our Selectmen

Fail

The Residents

The Fish Brook Story

To the editor: (submitted in The Townsman June 2007..a copy was emailed to Selectman Alex Vispoli)

It's both interesting and upsetting to me that the town is again allocating funds for a study on the Fish Brook contamination problem, it was only two years ago that it was reported $20,000 was to be spent.

Each time I read a new story of this issue I relive my battle to prevent this disaster. I blew the whistle on this long and loud about 9 years ago. I was working in Boston at the time and drove by the Mass Highway salt pile every day. When I noticed the grass and trees dying and white salt trails across the property to the drain on Route 93 I called the Andover Town offices. A wide path of pure salt had formed at the pile and traversed the slope as it narrowed to flow into the catch drain on Route 93 North. There are a few arborvitaes in this path standing dead to this day. You can see them as you drive 93 North, they are near the highway drain. At one point all the grass was dead in this path and only bare soil was present as the ground was sterilized by the intense salinity. The earth was white with salt from the salt pile to the drain.

How could you miss the signs of trouble? The grass was dead to Rt. 93, nothing could grow in that salinity. As a large stand of pines were killed by the salt runoff I complained again. Instead of covering the pile or removing it, the dead conifers were cut down and the "problem solved"... for the time being. Along the way Mass Highway covered the pile with a tarp and finally build a concrete pad and shed. However, it took years and by that point the damage had been done. There must have been literally tons of pure salt dissolved by the rain which leached into the soil, and eventually our drinking water.

The town manager Buzz told me there was nothing he could do, it was a state salt pile. This may have been my first contact with our well paid administrator. I called ..(public works). I called Environmental/Conservation and Health at Andover who sent someone out that took water sample at the brook then sent me a fax saying there was no problem at all. I called the Massachusetts department of environmental protection. I also contacted Mass Highway, I could not understand why there was no shed over the huge mountain of salt. Even in Medway, where I lived as a child, they knew enough to cover the salt. Each time it rains or snows the salt melts and runs off. I thought is was illegal not to cover it. I spoke with Kevin Sullivan's office, I had been fighting the cutting at the Putnam site the first time around and working with Tom Palmer and David Ropeik on the story, Sullivan's office knew me well.

This problem is not due to just an accident, oversight, or poor planning. This environmental disaster is due to the failure of our town and state to take a resident's concerns and complains seriously.

It's interesting to me that our Town Manager has not brought forth this story along the way as folks search for the cause of contamination but instead spends our tax dollars to discover the known. It's time to admit the failures.

The Toxic Waste Story

In 2003 I photographed an illegal dumping site on Old River Road. This is the site where a large Christmas tree was erected every year by the property owners along with their promotional real estate signs.

I urged our town officials to investigate this site for hazardous materials, this site was to again be used for a family Christmas tree lighting. An event that by design would bring children to this site.

As you can read below, my pleas were ignored and made light of. This site is a known illegal dump site, to date I know of no test wells or other water quality tests to have been conducted there.

In the photos empty drums and rusty containers can be seen. I asked that these be isolated and tested for toxins, we have no way of knowing what they last contained.

I was ignored, I still wonder what may have leached in the ground at this location. I do not understand why our town officials would take a chance with our residents and children.

I asked that the tree be moved to our downtown park, a safer place for all to enjoy this display. I was ignored.

Finally, I printed my images and requested to present to the Board of Selectmen. I was given a date and time. I attended the meeting and at the proper time and place presented this story looking for resolution.

I was given no plan for any action, and my presentation was blacked out from the cable access broadcast. However, the meeting immediately following my presentation was broadcast.

^Click on above images to enlarge^

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: RE: Failure to Protect Regarding Illegal Dumping and Disposal
of Unknown Substances
Date: Sun, 2 Nov 2003 17:56:10 -0500
From: Murnane, Charles <CMur@andoverps.net>
To: Larry Bruce <larrybruce@comcast.net>, Kochakian, Elizabeth
<EKoc@andoverps.net>
CC: <BStapczynski@town.andover.ma.us>, <rehender@attbi.com>,
<Hess.John@Worldnet.att.net>, <jameslyman82@hotmail.com>, <tteichert@attbi.com>, "Gilmore, Kaija" <KGilmore@town.andover.ma.us>, <bmmajor@comcast.net>, "Greer, Jim" <JGreer@town.andover.ma.us>, <Caroline.Cole@Verizon.net>, <nfater@andovertownsman.com>, <elm@environmentalleague.org>, <r1web.mail@epamail.epa.gov>, <dana.muldoon@state.ma.us>, <howiecarr@wrko.com>, <GOffice@state.ma.us>, <tom.reilly@ago.state.ma.us>,
"Penney, Everett"
<EPenney@town.andover.ma.us>, "Lynch, James" <Jlyn@andoverps.net>, "Murnane, Charles" <CMur@andoverps.net>

Dear Mr. Bruce:

Thank you for your e-mail concerning the potential unsafe area off of Old River Road near the Chateau . Immediately after receiving your e-mail I went to the site in question and spent over an hour looking around the area identified in your photographs. I did not find evidence of illegal dumping. In fact, I found the area to be quite clean.

I did look quite closely for signs of ground contamination and found none. However, I do realize that my observations do not mean that this area is free of contamination. Also, my observations and e-mail to you do not constitute an official response from the Town of Andover. I have forwarded your comments on to Everett Penney, our health director, I am sure he will look into this matter in more detail and get back to you.. With that said, I found no evidence that securing the area from the public is warranted from a fire department point of view.

If there is contamination at this site I personally would like to see it cleaned up immediately so the plans can go forward for the Christmas tree you mentioned. Wouldn't it be beautiful coming down Route 93 out of Methuen, looking across the river into Andover and seeing a 100 foot Christmas tree all lit up?

If I may, I would like to make a suggestion that I believe would bring better results if this should happen again. The first thing you might want to do if you witness illegal dumping is to immediately notify the police department. They will respond immediately and should the need arise they will notify all the other agencies needed to start the process of mitigating the unsafe or unhealthy condition.

I have attached a few pictures. They show how I found the site this afternoon.

I noticed that you copied the Governor. When you get a reply, I would be most interested in what his thoughts are on this issue.

If I can be of any further assistance, please feel free to contact me at any time.

Chief Murnane

-----Original Message-----
From: Larry Bruce [mailto:larrybruce@comcast.net]
Sent: Sunday, November 02, 2003 1:33 PM
To: Murnane, Charles; Kochakian, Elizabeth
Cc: BStapczynski@town.andover.ma.us; rehender@attbi.com;
Hess.John@Worldnet.att.net; jameslyman82@hotmail.com;
tteichert@attbi.com; Gilmore, Kaija; bmmajor@comcast.net; Greer,
Jim; Caroline.Cole@Verizon.net; nfater@andovertownsman.com;
elm@environmentalleague.org; r1web.mail@epamail.epa.gov;
dana.muldoon@state.ma.us; howiecarr@wrko.com; GOffice@state.ma.us;
tom.reilly@ago.state.ma.us
Subject: Re: Failure to Protect Regarding Illegal Dumping and
Disposal of Unknown Substances

TO: Andover Fire Chief: Charles H. Murnane Jr.

I request that the Andover Fire Department immediately investigate
the illegal dumping of unknown substances on Old River Road,
adjacent to "The Chateau". I request that Andover Hazmat trained
individuals search for additional hazardous materials and secure the
area from the public until ground testing has been completed.

Larry Bruce
254 Chandler Road
Andover, MA 01810

Email Larry Bruce