[CPEO-MEF] Benchmark problems at Watertown

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

[The following came to CPEO from Watertown Citizens for Environmental
Safety. The "benchmarks" described in the letter were installed two to
three years ago to mark mildly contaminated soil, deep underground, to
alert people in case of construction or other disturbance. – LS]

October 1, 2001

Ann Malewicz, Federal Facilities Section Chief
Bureau of Waste Site Cleanup
Department of Environmental Protection
One Winter Street
Boston, MA 02108

Subject: Benchmarks and Institutional Controls

Dear Ann,

At the Watertown Arsenal Restoration Advisory Board meeting on September
25, we learned about the several instances of missing or damaged
benchmarks at the Arsenal on the Charles.  As you know, maintenance of
the benchmarks is a key element of the institutional controls at the
site.  Citizens have been reluctant to accept institutional controls as
a risk management tool because of the significant potential for errors
occurring over the extended time the controls need to be active to keep
the site safe. The citizens present at the RAB were very dismayed to
learn the integrity of the benchmarks had already been compromised,
especially  since the repeated instances seem to add up to blatant and
willful disregard for the deed restrictions on the property. 

I am writing at this time to praise the continuing efforts of the DEP to
confront this situation, and to encourage a very strong regulatory
response, including fines and/or other legal action, in this situation. 
As you know, we have been concerned from the beginning about accepting a
cleanup which is not really clean, since it does require institutional
controls to insure public safety.  If these controls are not taken
seriously by property owners, the entire premise that institutional
controls are protective is called into question.  Fortunately, there
appears to be no tangible harm in this instance (subject to confirmation
by further testing), but the damage to our belief that institutional
controls are protective, is substantial.  If a site were clean, it
wouldn't require this level of vigilance and diligence to ensure our
safety.  In another community, at another time, the citizens may not be
so lucky as to discover a dangerous situation before harm is done.  

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,


Susan Falkoff
RAB Community Co-chair
19 Oliver Street
Watertown, MA 02472

-- 


Lenny Siegel
Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
c/o PSC, 222B View St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
lsiegel@cpeo.org
http://www.cpeo.org

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