During a special meeting held specifically to address the EPA’s draft NPDES permit, the Marion Board of Selectmen on February 5 were joined by consultant engineers from CDM Smith who schooled the selectmen on the history of the Town’s wastewater treatment plant, the EPA’s new stringent requirements, and a tentative $20 million encumbrance for the Town.

The deadline for comments in response to the draft NPDES permit, which stands for Nation Pollution Discharge Elimination System, was the next day, leaving only 24 hours to challenge the draft permit and try to persuade the EPA to reconsider its strict new nitrogen, heavy metal, and other pollutant levels on the Town’s wastewater treatment plant.

CDM Smith Project Manager Shawn Syde told selectmen that this draft permit is so different than the last one issued that, even with the latest in wastewater technology, the new requirements would be impossible to reach.

“It’s very aggressive,” said Syde, “and in our mind, unrealistic.”

The most significant, and most costly, change is the EPA’s elimination of unlined lagoon use and the prohibiting of allowing the biosolids (sludge) to degrade naturally in the lagoons.

Marion’s three unlined lagoons off Benson Brook Road were built in the 1970s and are integral to the function of the wastewater treatment plant. The lagoons store untreated excess wastewater and treats activated sludge, which then biodegrades on its own.

The draft permit would require the Town to have the sludge removed from the site for disposal.

According to the data the EPA used to draft the NPDES permit, the lagoons are leeching into the groundwater and polluting Aucoot Cove and Sippican Harbor with nitrogen and other heavy metals, to which Syde said there is no proof.

“Where we find ourselves right now is not because of something the Town of Marion has failed to do,” said Selectman Stephen Cushing. “…They changed the rules on us.”

As part of its response, the Town will challenge the data the EPA used and allege that the EPA was too rigid in its requirements, essentially putting an undue financial burden on the Town by not allowing it to seek alternative methods to comply with the new pollutant levels.

Capital costs to the Town that could exceed $20 million would include sludge treatment and disposal, the lining of the lagoons, the expanded filtration and monitoring of nitrogen, phosphorus, and other pollutants, and groundwater cleanup.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” said CDM Smith Vice President and expert on estuary science Bernadette Kolb via speakerphone during the meeting.

The permit mandates a wastewater treatment plant upgrade as a solution to meet the new limits, which the CDM Smith representatives, Town Administrator Paul Dawson, and selectmen found unfair, since other alternatives exist that could meet the permit requirements.

Some alternatives, said Syde, would be to cease using the effluent brook that delivers treated water into Aucoot Cove and instead run a pipe along the brook.

Kolb said the Town could also create an outfall farther offshore to lessen the nitrogen impact the EPA says the wastewater treatment plant is causing along the shore. With that, said Kolb, there would be no need for nitrogen or phosphorus limits in the permit.

“So there is some room for some give and take in this,” said Chairman Jonathan Henry.             Dawson told him, though, that the matter could go a number of ways.

“We don’t have any guarantee at this point that there will be any [give and take],” said Dawson.

The EPA could grant the permit as-is, it could withdraw the draft permit and allow the Town to explore other options, “or it could go in between,” said Dawson.

Dawson said the Town’s response “ought to give the EPA pause to think.”

After discussion, selectmen joked about renaming the unnamed ‘effluent brook’ to “Cushing’s Creek,” eliciting laughter. Dawson then suggested “Dawson’s Creek,” which won them over.

By Jean Perry

The Rochester Planning Board approved the main pylon sign for the Rochester Crossroads commercial development on Cranberry Highway, as expected.

Planning Board Chairman Arnold Johnson during the January 13 meeting ordered a draft decision drawn up for approval during the February 10 meeting when the public hearing was closed and the decision ratified.

The 26-foot LED lit sign with be visible from Interstate 495, the first of several other signs slated for the project that were withdrawn without prejudice during the previous meeting.

The Rochester Zoning Board of Appeals had already granted a special permit for the signage, but the Planning Board ordered the developer to come to the Planning Board for a proper site plan review.

The project also required several waivers, for example, to display a sign that is no more than 9 square-feet in size.

There was a slight pause after Johnson called for a motion to approve, but once made, the motion passed swiftly.

Also during the meeting, Kevin Forgue of G.A.F. Engineering explained an application for an Approval Not Required on behalf of applicants Dennis and Karen Clemishaw of 99 Perry’s Lane.

The Clemishaws were seeking the removal of lot lines separating property straddling the town line between Rochester and Marion in order to create frontage on Perry’s Lane to access one of the lots with no direct access to the road.

With no significant concerns, after a brief discussion, the application was approved.

In other matters, the board approved two separate site plans pertaining to The Pines at Hathaway Pond.

Representatives from The Pines had previously engaged the board in discussion over the addition of several bulkheads to some of the units at the development, but the board requested that plans reflecting the bulkhead additions be submitted.

The board issued four conditions on the plans before approval.

Also discussed, a public forum to review the Limited Commercial District strategy is still in the works, with sickness and snow interfering with previously scheduled dates. A February 21 date has been canceled, and the forum will now be held later in March.

The Planning Board will meet with the Board of Selectmen on February 23 after their meeting to go over the strategy with them before moving forward with the public forum.

“It would be nice if we could get together and discuss things before we went anywhere,” said Johnson. “It’d be nice if the selectmen agreed with us before … or suggested some alternatives.”

The selectmen withdrew any support they had for two articles the Planning Board had on the warrant during the Fall Special Town Meeting, and Johnson alluded to avoiding a similar situation at the Annual Town Meeting in May.

Johnson intends to present the selectmen with the draft bylaw at this stage in its development before moving forward any further.

“And hopefully we’ll have a cohesive document that we can bring to a [public] forum,” said Johnson.

The Planning Board is looking at proposing two articles for the Town Meeting warrant – one that addresses the Limited Commercial District, which is roughly land surrounding the center of town, and the second will serve to add a definition of “mixed use” to the bylaw just in case the first article fails on Town Meeting floor. Johnson called it a ‘failsafe.’

Johnson also updated the board on the progress of hiring a consultant to assist the Town in codifying its zoning and general bylaws.

The chairman told board members that Town Administrator Michael McCue presented him with one estimate for the work, totaling $12,000.

“Which I can’t support right now,” said Johnson. “It seemed like a lot of words in there to justify a big price tag.”

Johnson pointed out that it was only one single estimate and he would keep the board updated as other estimates come in.

The next meeting of the Rochester Planning Board is scheduled for February 24 at 7:00 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.

By Jean Perry

National Weather Service Taunton– A winter storm will bring blizzard conditions to eastern Massachusetts, including the entire Tri-Town region this weekend.

There is a blizzard warning in effect from 7:00 pm Saturday, February 14 to 11:00 am Sunday, February 15.

Hazard types include heavy snow, poor visibility, and strong to damaging winds.         Snow accumulations are predicted at 8 to 10 inches, and snow drifts several feet deep can also be expected.

Travel will become nearly impossible and potentially life threatening due to whiteout conditions and bitterly cold wind chills.

Conditions will remain dangerous for travel well into Sunday due to blowing and drifting snow, reduced visibility, and dangerously cold wind chills. Visibility will be one-quarter of a mile or less at times.

Power outages can be expected in some locations due to very strong winds from the north at 30 to 40 miles per hour with gusts up to 75 mph.     A blizzard warning is issued when sustained winds or frequent gusts over 35 mph are expected with considerable falling and/or blowing and drifting snow. Travel must be completed by late Saturday afternoon. Those venturing outdoors may become lost or disoriented. Stay indoors.

The snow will move in Saturday evening and intensify overnight. By Sunday morning, heavy snow is likely especially along the coast with northwest winds strengthening. Temperatures will plummet during the day on Sunday. By Sunday evening, temperatures may be around zero even at the coast with wind chill values a lot lower than that.

Regardless of how much snow falls, this will likely be a dangerous storm to be out and about in due to the combination of wind and cold.