Minutes of Meeting
May 7, 2007
A meeting of the Sharon Board of Health was called to order on Monday, May 7, 2007, at 6:20 P.M., in the Sharon High School, with the following members in attendance: Anne Bingham, Chair; Elizabeth Barnett, Vice-Chair; Suzi Peck; Stanley Rosen, and Jay Schwab..
The Board met to discuss BOH comments to be made at the Special Town Meeting re the rezoning article for the proposed Sharon Hills (Brickstone) project. Anne Bingham stated that a number of people have expressed interest in hearing a list of the BOH concerns. Stan Rosen agreed.....to the extent that the BOH can present issues used in a risk benefit analysis. Jay Schwab expressed the opinion that some of the draft comments were “a stretch”. Both Stan and Jay were amenable to a short statement. Elizabeth Barnett urged that the statement be kept at
less than three minutes.
Elizabeth suggested the Board focus on the list of concerns...and express the strongest and most important issues. Both Jay Schwab and Stan Rosen expressed the opinion that that there would not be more viral infections in this location than in the entire town. Suzi Peck stated that DEP has begun studying pharmaceuticals....to quantify how much is in the water supply....and to consider regulating these. Stan Rosen opined that there is no municipality in the country which regulates these. Suzi Peck stated that she would want the right for groundwater monitoring...both onsite and at Briggs Pond. Anne Bingham agreed that the pharmaceuticals and viruses are the most controversial of all the concerns in the draft statement. After some discussion, it was agreed to leave out the concerns in the draft
document regarding pharmaceuticals and viruses.
Suzi Peck stated that the proposed location is a sensitive site.....close to wells and Briggs Pond....the wastewater treatment plant (116,000 gpd wastewater) will provide minimal treatment (as required by state law). According to Anne Bingham, DEP regulations for treatment plants require only 10 parameters to be measured four times/year. Suzi Peck believes this is to be a very heavily populated area....poor soils...near the wells. The BOH agreed they would prefer monitoring for additional contaminants.
VOTED: (Barnett/Schwab) unanimously that Suzi Peck present an abbreviated statement on behalf of the BOH, repeating the vote which took place on April 30th, and briefly expressing the concerns about the monitoring of the wastewater treatment plant, particularly due to the density of the site, poor soils, close to wells and Briggs Pond; and about the possibility of pesticide and fertilizer runoff into the groundwater. She will note the BOH preference that other pollutants (broader in scope than current DEP requirements re conventional pollutants) to be monitored....and to evolve as knowledge is accrued. She will also note the positive items already addressed by the Development Agreement.
The meeting was adjourned at 6:45 PM.
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