MassDEP Crow Lane Landfill Information July 31, 2009

Commissioner Burt mentioned at the meetings in Newburyport last week that MassDEP would provide information about activities at the landfill to residents and officials. We think the best way to do this is to send updates to people on the established email network that residents have been using. This is the first such email and we are looking for comments on this approach. We’d also like to here about other names we should add to the distribution list. Please send your questions, comments and suggestions to the following email address: crowlane.information@massmail.state.ma.us.

In addition to these email updates, correspondence and reports are posted in the MassDEP Northeast Region web site at http://www.mass.gov/dep/about/region/crowlane.htm

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Landfill Update – July 31, 2009:

As of Monday, August 27^th, the Department is monitoring the daily operations and closure activities at the landfill using contractors from Shaw Environmental. We plan to continue this coverage through December 2009. The scope of services includes the following tasks and items:

· 2 staff will rotate coverage;

· The contract allows for coverage 5 days per week from 7 AM to 7 PM and weekend coverage as well. The hours of coverage on a daily basis and weekend coverage may vary depending on activities and conditions at the landfill.

· Coverage is scheduled for Saturday 8/1 7:30 to noon.

· The contractor’s duties include but are not limited too the following:

o Inspect/Monitor site activities and complete inspection form & checklists;

o Sample pretreatment system and inlet flare daily;

o Inspect pre-treatment system and flare and observe its operation;

o Take gas treatment system samples;

o Inspect site for odor breakouts at the beginning of the day, during the day and at the end of the day;

o Download data from and maintain off-site hydrogen sulfide monitoring stations daily;

o Respond to complaints during operating hours including identification of causes;

o Observe construction activities,

o Provide information to MassDEP about work accomplished by New Ventures and work planned on a daily and/or weekly basis when possible. This information will be included in email updates from MassDEP;

o Collect landfill gas system samples from wells periodically; and

o Report to MassDEP situations that require attention. MassDEP will inform New Ventures of and/or go to the landfill to discuss the actions needed in order to address issues.

o The contractor will observe the actions New Ventures takes to address issues and report back to MassDEP.

Ambient Air Quality, Water Quality and Sediment Monitoring Planned:

MassDEP is developing a contract for the collection and analyses of the following samples:

· Ambient air samples in the neighborhoods surrounding the landfill and samples of the landfill gas entering and exiting the pretreatment system and flare; and

· Surface water and sediment samples from locations around the landfill, the vernal pool and samples from leachate collection tanks.

The goal is to have this contract in place so that sampling can be schedule to begin during the second week of August.

Activities at the Landfill During the Week of 7/27 – 8/1:

· MassDEP staff and our contractor met with New Ventures and their consultant at the landfill on Monday to go over the activities of the contractor.

· Odor complaints continue, particularly on Friday 7/31. The contractor investigated several complaints and attempted to identify possible causes at the landfill and to have New Ventures address them. Leachate breakouts were covered and clay cover was added to the side slopes on the Southeast corner.

· The contractor has been inspecting the landfill and operations each day, identifying leachate seeps and observing New Ventures employees as the seeps were fixed.

· The contractor began installing the new hydrogen sulfide meter (the Jerome Meter) at a nearby residential property. MassDEP will be finalizing the location of 2 additional meters with the City next week.

· New Ventures has been finishing the grading associated with the final access road pathway that will lead to the top of the landfill. They have also been filling and grading in the area where the scale was previously located after the relocated the office trailer closer to Crow Lane.

· New Ventures has had surveyors on site to update the landfill plans to reflect the current contours.