State reps. fear PCB find will slow $363M Springfield Water and Sewer project, add cost
Lawmakers are asking the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission why local elected officials were not notified when workers unearthed PCBs at a commission construction site in July.
"There appears to be no disclosure to any of the municipalities that pay the bills," said state Rep. Aaron L. Saunders, D-Belchertown, on Friday.
PCBs are a group of man-made chemicals produced from 1929 until a ban in 1979. They're known carcinogens, formerly used in multiple industries and found in homes.
On Thursday, Saunders and state Rep. Michael Finn, D-West Springfield, sent a letter to the commission asking, among other things: How long will the PCB contamination delay a new West Parish Water Treatment Plant? Under an agreement with the state Department of Environmental Protection, it has to be online in 2028.
Process control manager Alex Roseweir speaks with visitors in an underground slow filter chamber during the West Parish Water Treatment facility open house in 2024. (Marc St. Onge / The Westfield News, File)The Westfield News
And how much will the discovery of the PCBs add to the cost of the $363 million project?
The PCB problem was reported publicly Friday in The Republican, based on meeting notes and correspondence between the commission's engineers and regulators at the DEP.
A commission spokeswoman told the newspaper this week that the agency is still assessing the effects of the contamination on the ongoing project.
"It would be unwise to speculate on timing, costs or other factors until a plan is in place," spokeswoman Jaimye Bartak said in the statement.
But that's not good enough for Saunders, who also reviewed the DEP paperwork after being alerted this week by a constituent.
"It was disturbing that they did not have an answer," Saunders said in a phone interview.
The Springfield Water and Sewer Commission headquarters building on Bondi's Island in Agawam. (Jim Kinney / The Republican)The Republican
Other questions include whether cost overruns will have an effect on ratepayers and if there are contingency financing plans.
In the letter, Finn and Saunders also asked if the commission should have anticipated the possibility of contamination, given the age of the infrastructure it was removing.
"The commission is currently reviewing the letter from Representatives Finn and Saunders regarding the new West Parish Water Treatment Plant project and intends to provide a written response in a timely manner," Bartak responded on Friday.
Saunders' district includes Ludlow, one of the towns that draws drinking water from Springfield Water and Sewer Commission facilities.
Finn represents another customer in West Springfield. He also represents parts of Westfield.
Workers excavating near the Cobble Mountain Reservoir at 1515 Granville Road in Westfield made the discovery, according to documents submitted to the DEP.
They were unearthing cavernous underground chambers once used to filter water through beds of sand when they discovered materials that raised suspicions. Their suspicions were later confirmed when the caulk and some of the soil nearby tested positive for PCBs.
PCBs have not been evident in any of the commission's routine testing.
Some of the earth remains stored at the site. Some soil was removed prior to the discovery.
Stories by Jim Kinney
Read the original article on MassLive . Add MassLive as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
