Someone was busy last night over at the Masslive.com Northampton Forum at http://www.masslive.com/forums/northampton/. The information from a couple of posts seemed important so here it is:
"1. The existing landfill DOES leak and HAS contaminated area ground water (luckily it is not yet over a Type II area/Aquifer, as the proposed expansion would be). See letter from Peter J. McErlain, Agent Northampton Board of Health to Mayor David B. Musante Junior dated February 10, 1989 discussing contamination of ground water from landfill leachate (resulting in damage claims against city). Here’s a link to the letter: Hannum Brook Brakey Farm
Here’s a link to the discussion of options for cleaning the mess: Wetlands Destruction Leachate
2. The existing landfill(s) are not currently (nor have they been) above the type II section of the Barnes Aquifer–that’s why it is not yet contaminated.
3. While this is not TECHNICALLY a "hazardous chemical" landfill based on the fact that they don’t officially "accept" hazardous waste, hazardous waste is present in the landfill. The reality is that if one looks at the list of "hazardous household items" (From DPW’s site): http://www.northamptonma.gov/dpw/uploads/listWidget/3862/HazMat.pdf
those items wind up in the landfill. In my 40 years I have NEVER once had anyone open up one of my trash bags or otherwise look to see what I’m tossing away. Until recently, I hadn’t thought much about it and place many of the prohibited items in the landfill. I know I’m not alone. Shame on me. And shame on Northampton for not doing a better job of monitoring what’s going in there nor promoting an awareness of what is prohibited. The list of prohibited (read: hazardous) items are not well displayed.
Hannum Brook
Here’s the reality: landfill liners leak. Even non-hazardous-waste landfills contain hazardous waste. You don’t put a landfill on top of an aquifer. You just don’t do it.
Here’s a quick quiz regarding the current landfill and Northampton’s stewardship of it:
1. Has Northampton used illegal catch basin cleanings for daily cover? YES.
2. Has Northampton made (illegal) excessive use of contaminated soils for daily cover? YES
3. Has Northampton been cited for illegal site drainage and standing water conditions? YES
4. Has Northampton been issued a Notice of Noncompliance for failure to report monitoring in timely fashion? YES
5. Has Northampton experience NUMEROUS pump station failures, some of which resulted in LEACHATE OVERFLOW? YES
6. Has Northampton on more than 10 occasions failed to check the leachate pumps? YES
7. Has Northampton illegally failed to keep the original field reports for 3 years? YES
8. Has Northampton been cited for (illegal) failures to use adequate daily cover? YES
9. Did Northampton illegally fail to complete phase 1 closure on time? YES
To see Mass DEP’s Notice of Noncompliance to Northampton for yourself click on this link:
http://www.savingparadise.info/letters/121903_Noho_DEP_Non-Compliance.pdf
I hope and assume Northampton has "fixed" all the above. But the point is, mistakes happen. Leachate overflows. People get sloppy. Departments take shortcuts and cut corners. Are we the trusted city who should be putting our landfill over someone’s drinking water supply?"
