Pollution Runoff from the Newburyport Landfill

Hi Mary

It isn’t only the air quality that we should be concerned about – it’s the water and the soil too. The landfill problem is a package deal of all three – air, water, and soil.

landfill.1.jpg

All the landfill runoff pollution that is seen in this photo ended up in the Little River water that flooded all the homes and yards downstream in the Doe Run/Quail Run area and continued on through the Industrial Area into the Parker River and the clam flats during the May flood.

The big question to the DEP and the AG is, ”What are you going to do right now short term to mitigate the problem?”

I believe that David Chatfield (chemical engineer and articulate spokesperson for the neighborhood) will tell them to raise the pipe of the flare much higher into the air NOW, and then get on with the longer range solutions.

Yes, the first thing that must be fixed is the air quality, but DEP and the AG need to see the big picture of the problem in terms of the health, safety and welfare of the public.

Thanks for urging folks to attend the meeting:

This Thursday
September 14, 2006
7PM at City Hall.

Best,
Marlene Schroeder