[CPEO-IRF] South Weymouth (MA) letter

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

Letter from David Wilmot <DCatbird37@aol.com> to U.S. EPA:

Bryan,

I'm very sorry my body wasn't cooperating enough to get out to that 
colorful slide show presentation on the base waters yesterday. I had 
some comments regarding the presentation, based on recent developments 
that warrant me to stating them now to an expanded audience.

Those of you pressed for time please feel free to peruse highlighted 
text as executive summary.

Although somewhat cumbersome, I assure you all I've wasted no words here.

I am addressing this correspondence to the Executive Office of 
Environmental affairs to serve as my initial 2006 comments to the EIR ( 
11085R ) currently out for public comment for the most recent base 
redevelopment plan.

I am also addressing this letter to SSTTDC and the Abington Town Manager 
to assure the local authorities have what I see as information necessary 
to protect the well-being of local citizens, who for the most part are 
unaware of environmental concerns many of us share regarding the current 
residential base development plans.

Mr. Delahunt is likewise addressed as always, as I believe grave 
injustice is being politically orchestrated in his jurisdiction, and not 
hearing back from his office in so long, I'm unsure of whether he is 
aware of it.

A recent newspaper article I read, told of the urgency he and Senator 
Kennedy have in moving the land transfer along, but doing this prior to 
full, responsible cleanup is not addressing the need to best protect the 
health of the current and future citizens here.

I have also cc'd the members of the South Coastal Watershed group and 
the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, as their participation in 
this process is crucial.

I believe citizens stepping forward to share collected knowledge with 
the regulators and developers regarding their experience here should be 
welcomed for their civic spirit, and not demonized as antagonistic 
stumbling blocks.

Those all too colorful pictures, presented to the DEP, EPA, Navy and 
Developers Reps yesterday were visual proof that allowing base 
remediation/cleanup to lag behind development planning subjects those of 
us living here, and those who are planned for in the future to accept 
unjust increased health-burden without their knowledge.

The whole thing rings unconstitutional to me.

Perhaps continuing to ignore the growing science of Environmental Health 
concerns with military/industrial toxin releases, is as grave an 
oversight, as the current administration's complete failure to address 
Global Climate change in the face of crumbling ice caps, warming ocean 
temperatures and crashing polar bear populations.

While thousands of American families suffer the tragic loss of loved 
sons and soldiers, 100's of billions of dollars are poured into the 
desert sands of people who although thankful to be liberated from a 
tyrant, now no longer want us there.

Our leadership has lost it's bearing.

If I can help that from happening with the redevelopment of the Naval 
Air Station in my back yard, than while I still can I will.

The colorful waterway slide show presented yesterday told us many things.

Naturally Occurring?????????????

The utter variance in water conditions and colors presented, clearly 
pictured that we are dealing with a large number of variants in 
chemical/metal makeup of the photographed streams and ditches.

The former blanket characterization of "naturally-occurring Iron 
flocculent" is no longer acceptable by any means.

I have sent many years traipsing in wetlands, fields and forests and 
there is nothing "naturally occurring" in any of these presented 
photographs.

Full chemical characterization testing of these streams and drainage 
ditches will without doubt confirm this.

We are dealing with a variety of toxic stews flowing on and downstream 
from this base, that have been pooling up and settling in adjacent 
wetlands north by Old Swamp River and south by French's Stream, but the 
official posture would have people satisfied with the statement that 
"there's no evidence that any contamination has migrated off the base".

The USGS likely would take issue with that based on wetlands testing 
they conducted along Old Swam River's adjacent wetlands.
Testing results along French's stream have yet to be fully analyzed and 
released to the public.

Allowing residential development to proceed prior to Full Warranted 
CERCLA Superfund Remediation is irresponsible !

Full groundwater characterization is yet to be completed !

Adjacent downstream wetlands testing has hardly started !

The Navy has refused to conduct any offsite well testing !

Our elected officials apparently find no issue with any of this.

The Navy now plans to cap the largest, most toxic Superfund-designated 
landfill on the base, even as it sits on and adjacent to French's 
Stream, a headwaters of the North River Watershed! The regulators will 
be required to perpetually monitor the site for leeching toxins !

The Navy has already experienced problems with their elected capping 
remediation at the Superfund Rubble Disposal Area landfill on and 
adjacent to wetlands abutting Weymouth's drinking water supply!

I don't believe the best interests of our current/future citizens are 
being addressed at all !

The federal BRAC process was originally set up to provide former host 
communities with the environmental cleanup and restoration of federally 
used resources, prior to returning the former military base lands and 
waterways back to the host communities for their reuse benefits.

Now, the already water starved, traffic grid-locked local populace is 
told not to worry that our water resources will remain contaminated, and 
our expanding traffic grid-lock should be tolerated in the name of 
"Regional" well-being.

Tossing a couple new cruisers, or an ambulance, and a few dollars at the 
locally elected, coupled with a professional PR effort and a crackerjack 
legal staff, have managed to give the developers the reins on any profit 
to be realized here, and our elected appear fine with that ! All our 
elected !

Much more maddening to me, is how easily the Public Health is sacrificed.

There is nothing more precious to any of us.

And, our elected and appointed leaders are trapped in such an 
ass-backward political web, that Public Health is allowed to become a 
non-issue.

The developers(SSTTDC & LNR Partners) have shown absolutely no interest 
in our Public Health concerns.

I know of a Weymouth Town Council member who has heard our concerns for 
years at monthly Restoration Advisory Board(RAB) meetings, but I have no 
evidence of any concern being shown by the Mayor or the Council as a whole.

Attendance of other Weymouth officials was sparse at best.

A Rockland Selectwoman has been a regular attendee, but deals with a 
very separated Board, who have shown no interest to the years of RAB 
proceedings.

Abington's elected officials have likewise been absent over the eight 
years of my attendance. I took it upon myself to speak to them at a 
meeting one night, along with addressing the local (Abington & Rockland) 
Boards of Health, but was never asked for any kind of return engagement.

Being one of 70+ multiple sclerosis sufferers in proximity to the base 
got me no callback or visible interest.

Mr Delahunt and Mr Kerry's offices did show us some courtesy and 
interest for many years, but once the "Regional Redevelopment Vision" 
had become established I could only consider myself a nuisance, unworthy 
of an answer to any questions I presented to their attention.

I can only hope that colorful evidence of water contamination presented 
yesterday will not so easily be dismissed!

How is it possible that the Navy finds land to be "Suitable for 
Transfer", and developers are careless enough to accept property, with 
multi-colored trenches flowing across it, unknown landfills sporting 
what are likely to be PCB contaminated transformers on it, and a host of 
other questions only surfacing because a local wildlife photographer 
stumbled upon them?

How can land already transferred, be later found with areas (one 
referred to as the "Lunar Landing Area" parcel) in need of further 
testing to explain it's blackened, plant barren state?

How is it that private citizens are uncovering a new landfill in the 
Abington base lands after the Navy has earmarked the property as 
"Suitable For Transfer"?

How is it possible that the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease 
Registry continues to support their "No (apparent) Public Health 
Concern" Public Health Assessment of SWNAS, when their most recently 
released "Health Consultation Report"
for citizens health concerns surrounding Kelly Air Force Base in Texas 
admits so clearly "Indeterminate Health Hazards" exist due to cited 
"chemical mixtures".

Wouldn't "Indeterminate Health Hazards" be reasonably better controlled 
by precautionary principles?

As it is now, these "Indeterminate Health Hazards" via chemical mixtures 
are being allowed to perpetrate across the country with the return of 
former military bases to the private sector before responsible cleanup 
being completed.

This if not legally wrong, is morally very wrong.

One photo shown at yesterdays presentation had been identified by USGS 
professionals as a flow of Manganese tainted Water.

In small naturally occurring amounts, Manganese is a mineral necessary 
for human health.

In large or concentrated quantity, Manganese is a serious health hazard.

SWNAS perimeter wells are loaded with water born Manganese.

How is it, that ATSDR and the EPA allows such toxically high levels of 
this now widely recognized Neuro-toxic metal Manganese to exist in the 
waters of SWNAS?
This is being allowed as concurrently 27 nations attend an International 
Symposium on "Neurotoxic Metals- Lead, Mercury, Manganese" in Brescia 
Italy.

Much more disconcerting is the fact that ATSDR itself has announced that 
one of it's "Priority Data Needs" is "Epidemiological studies on the 
health effects of manganese with special emphasis end points to include 
neurologic, reproductive, developmental, immunologic,and cancer".

As one of many living around here living with a neurological immune 
system disease I'd like to discover how ATSDR can continue to see clear 
to give us a clean bill of health Public Health Assessment, given what 
they evidently know regarding Manganese and Health?

Of course, Manganese is only one of hundreds of toxically elevated 
substances on SWNAS.

And as ATSDR has made it clear on the Kelly Air Force Base Report, they 
have little grasp on the health problems "chemical mixtures" are capable 
of generating.

Congressman Delahunt and Senator Kennedy, your newspaper cited 
impatience to facilitate this base transference is ill advised.


sincerely,
David Wilmot
Abington, Massachusetts
11-02-06


--


Lenny Siegel
Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
c/o PSC, 278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org


_______________________________________________
Installation_Reuse_Forum mailing list
Installation_Reuse_Forum@list.cpeo.org
http://www.cpeo.org/mailman/listinfo/installation_reuse_forum