Annual Report for 2002
The Town continues to make progress in several areas of environmental compliance. Over the past year, the Environmental Compliance Officer ( the “ECO”), hired in February, 2002 as a result of enforcement actions taken by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (the “EPA”) in November 2001, has worked cooperatively and successfully with Town departments on various environmental projects.
The ECO is helping the Town meet its environmental obligations by providing the needed expertise and focus on environmental issues resulting from Town operations. Working cooperatively with managers of Town Offices, the ECO is completing work to improve the environment and the Town’s compliance status with environmental requirements and, at the same time, saving the Town money.
Over the past year, the Town realized savings in four general areas - remediation or clean-up work on Town owned sites, grant funding for Town environmental projects, compliance assistance with environmental requirements, and compliance with the EPA order. The largest cost savings resulted by replacing expensive environmental consultant services with the “in-house” expertise of the ECO. Given the number and the complexity of environmental requirements and the need to move the Town towards environmental sustainability, having a Town staffed environmental expert greatly benefits the Town. A summary of these savings for last year are contained in the following cost savings table.
On the compliance side, the Town is complying with the EPA three year order. The Town has met its year one compliance commitments by completing its study of Peagan Cove and Town-wide Pollution Prevention Plan and is exceeding these commitments by implementing twice as many pollution prevention projects as those required to be completed in year one of the order. Some of the more notable projects include developing an Environmental Management System for the Springvale Water Treatment Plant and implementing a Toxics Free trash program in West Natick and the Town-wide Pay-As-You-Thru program beginning in July 2003.
The Town continues to integrate environmental compliance in its operations, as well. As a result of self compliance audits which will continue in the future, the Town has filed its air source registrations for emissions from appropriate sized boilers, it has completed Spill, Prevention, Control and Countermeasure Plans for appropriate sized above ground heating oil tanks, and it has initiated record keeping of fuel use and operating times for appropriate size emergency generators.
Finally, the Town continues to close-out as clean Town owned properties contaminated with fuel oil. Of the original nineteen Town owned properties with under ground oil tanks, only four properties remain in the regulatory clean-up process. Of these, two are in the monitoring and reporting phase, one will be transferred to be monitored under the solid waste requirements and only one remains in an active clean-up phase.
COST SAVINGS TABLE
REMEDIATION COST SAVINGS
Murphy Center (Construction) $15,000
Murphy Center (O&M) $10,000
Lilja School (Treatment) $30,000
Remediation Total Cost Savings $55,000
GRANTS AWARD
Municipal Stewardship (DEP) $20,000
TURN Grant (TURI) $10,000
Grants Total Cost Award $30,000
COMPLIANCE ASSISTANCE COST SAVINGS
Various Document Reviews $8,000
Animal Disposal $15,000
Gravel Yard Closure (21-E & Permit) $12,000
Town-Wide Compliance Audit $40,000
Battery Disposal $1,000
3 Air Emission Source Registrations $4,000
Oil Spill Response Follow-Up $2,000
2 Activity Use Limitations (AUL) $2,000
High School Return To Compliance $7,000
Mercury Waste Disposal $5,000
Emergency Generator Recordkeeping $2,000
Compliance Total Cost Savings $98,000
POLLUTION PREVENTION PROJECTS COST SAVINGS
Paint Reduction $1,000
Library Paper Recycling $500
Chemical Purchasing at High School $1,000
P2 Total Cost Savings $2,500
Grand Total Saving $185,500
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