[CPEO-IRF] West Gate Landfill, South Weymouth (MA)

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

[The following is an e-mail from Dave Wilmot <dcatbird37@aol.com> to Mr. 
Fancher of the South Short Tri-Town Development Corporation, as well as 
U.S. EPA and members of the Massachusetts Congressional delegation, 
regarding the disposition of the West Gate Landfill at the former South 
Weymouth Naval Air Station, Massachusetts. - LS]


Mr. Fancher, I'm confused about the Corporation's stand on the West Gate 
Landfill, and on the current status of the Disposition and Development 
Agreement(DDA), your Corporation recently amended  with Lennar 
Partners(LNR). Your office had promised me a copy of those amendments, 
but I've not received them yet. I'm no lawyer, and they'll probably not 
make a whole lot of sense to me when I receive them, but after eight 
years of involvement here, they might tell me something of interest.

I visited the South Shore Development Corporation(SSTTDC) website, but 
could not ascertain if the amendments had been added to your featured 
DDA document.

It is also unclear as to whether that document still stands with the 
"Early Transfer" supposedly off the table.

Speaking as a concerned member of the public, I can't see if the five 
million dollars LNR had two years ago promised to fully remove the West 
Gate Landfill is still available, as I firmly believe based on it's 
location atop Frenches Stream, anything less than full removal, such as 
the Navy's capping proposal does disservice to those citizens living 
downstream in creating a perpetual leeching hazard.

The DDA is further unclear as to environmental insurance 
responsibilities. "Parties shall retain such insurance related to such 
environmental matters as may be set forth in the ESCA and the 
SWERA".Could you succinctly interpret those responsibilities for the 
common citizen to assure us that the Navy's responsibility to protect 
the Public health of their former host communities doesn't become the 
responsibility of those former host communities themselves?

With all the missed deadlines, default verbage,appended security 
agreements  and so forth, I can't help but think LNRs lawyers could be 
the only people who know what's really going on here.

I would hope SSTTDC holds a responsibility to the public health of our 
communities and could quickly ascertain if LNR is still willing to 
earmark the money to remove the highly contaminated landfill from 
under,above and abutting the headwaters of the North River Watershed.

I would also ask SSTTDC and Congressman Delahunt to ascertain the EPA's 
preferred method of remediation in addressing the toxic West Gate Landfill.

Having read those EPA comments submitted to the Navy on the Navy's 
Proposed Plan for WGL capping, I believe the EPA was leaning toward 
total removal, in which case LNR's offer to do that( Patriot Ledger 
6-17-04, 6-29-04 ) would seem a welcome offer, but with the word that 
the "Early Transfer" is justly off the table, will LNR still be willing 
to remove the landfill?

I pray Mr Fancher you will enlighten us.

Bryan, as always, I look forward to EPA's opinion.
Mr Delahunt, Mr Kerry, I can only hope that you're paying attention, and 
will do all you can to promote what is right.

God bless you, dave wilmot



--
Lenny Siegel
Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
c/o PSC, 278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
http://www.cpeo.org

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