The Somerset Sentinel (2025)

01/08/2025

Railway Pie starts serving its pizza and more

By GEORGE AUSTIN
SOMERSET - There are a lot of pizza places in town, but the new Railway Pie is a little different.
The restaurant, that just opened for business yesterday at 938 Lees River Avenue, not only operates out of an old train car, but serves craft pizza that is made with sourdough.
The sourdough in the pizza is made with organic flours, sea salt and olive oil. There are no chemicals sprayed on the grains that are used. A wild fermentation process is used, so it's not like commercial yeast. They employ a sourdough in a different strain than the traditional yeast. While a lot of places that use dough in their pizza make the dough the same day, Railway Pie makes its dough three days ahead of time.
"It takes a little bit longer, but we think it's worth it," Railway Pie owner Paul Booras said of making the sourdough.
The craft pizza, instead of being mass produced, is an artisan product. The ingredients for the pizza consist of crushed imported San Marzano tomatoes with a touch of sea salt and herbs, topped with locally made whole milk and buffalo milk mozzarella, and Pecorino Romano cheeses.There is a margherita pizza with crushed tomato, fresh mozzarella, torn basil and evoo. The Dilly-O pizza has pickles, bacon, jalapeno and hot honey. Pulled pork, bacon and garlic sausage is used to make what the restaurant calls the 3 Little Pigs pizza. There are also pizzas made with pepperoni, meatballs, chicken, ham and pineapple. Diners or those who get pizza for takeout can choose from the well known New Haven pizza thin crust style or the Detroit pan thick crust. Pink vodka or alfredo sauces can also be added to the pizza that the restaurant makes.
The sandwiches at Railway Pie are made with sourdough based ciabatta rolls.
"Everything we bake, even the cookies, it's a sourdough formulation," Booras said.
Some of the sandwiches on the menu include a pink cutlet with chicken, fresh mozzarella and pink vodka sauce, a Smokin' Butt with pulled pork, smoked bacon, barbecue sauce, pickles and cheddar and an Athena with grilled chicken, avocado, lettuce and tomato and a lemon herb vinaigrette, among others.
Pastas, appetizers and salads are also on the menu. Imported Organic Durum Semolina, cooked Al Dente, is used in the pasta.
At the bar, they are serving drafts and bottled beer, cider and seltzer, fresh brews, wines, wine cocktails and refreshers.
For the sweet tooth, there are cookies, brownies, whoopie pies and Boston cream puffs.
Booras has been making sourdough since 1996. He said it takes a little longer to ferment the sourdough than it does for industrial dough. But he said the sourdough has a better flavor. The sourdough helps to make the pizza, bread and other offerings on the menu healthier for customers. Sourdough has digestive benefits.
"It's just a different animal," Booras said. "It's the way we used to do it. People got away from it in the '50s when we wanted to do things faster and cheaper."
Booras said there were no gluten intolerances back in the 1950s, like there are today.
Booras has done a lot of renovations inside the train car which has been the home to several other restaurants over the years. He put in new flooring and ceiling lighting, did some painting, renovated the kitchen and put in a bar. Booras said the property owner built a takeout platform for the restaurant which was very generous.
"I've been doing this my whole life," Booras said. "I've opened restaurants for myself. I've opened them for other people."
Three years ago, Booras and his kids started making pizza and bread in his garage and selling them. He opened the Rehoboth Baking Company two years ago.
Railway Pie has opened with limited hours that are 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.on Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Railway Pie is planning to add lunch hours in the coming days or weeks.

01/08/2025

Selectmen vote to change hours that employees work at Town Office Building

By GEORGE AUSTIN
SOMERSET - The selectmen on Wednesday voted to change the hours that employees work at the Town Office Building.
For many years, the building has been open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. The selectmen voted to change those hours from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday. The new hours will start on Aug. 11.
Town Administrator Mark Ullucci said the town employees will still be working the same amount of hours, but will come in a little earlier during the first four days of the week and get out earlier on Friday.
Ullucci said the discussion about changing the hours of the Town Office Building came up about a year ago. He said most town halls in Bristol County either close early on Fridays or are not open on Fridays at all. Ullucci said the new hours approved for the Somerset Town Office Building are the same hours that employees work at the Swansea Town Hall. He said the Dighton Town Hall is closed on Fridays.
Ullucci said there are studies that have shown that such a schedule can increase the productivity of workers. He said the schedule could give the town employees more time with their families during the summers. Ullucci said that getting off at 1 p.m. on Fridays in the summer is almost like having a whole day off because there will be so much sunlight left when employees get off work.
Ullucci said if the new schedule does not work, they can go to a different schedule.
Selectmen Chair Allen Smith said such a schedule for town halls has worked in numerous communities. He said Taunton, Seekonk and Rehoboth close at noon on Fridays.
Like pay and health insurance, Smith said the schedule employees work can be looked at as a benefit. He said Somerset employees see their counterparts in other towns leaving early on Fridays or having that day off. He said offering such a schedule could help to retain town employees.
Since he has been on the Board of Selectmen, Smith said there has been a lot of work put into building a strong team at the Town Office Building. He said it doesn't cost taxpayers money to provide this schedule to the town employees. He said the schedule can help the employees feel good about working for the town.
Smith said even with the schedule they have had for many years, town employees come in on their off hours to get work done if there is a need.
Ullucci said one employee who wants to continue to work the same hours is the town custodian who comes in earlier than other town employees to get cleaning done in offices while employees are not there and works until 2:30 p.m.
Smith said if there are problems with the new schedule that other communities haven't experienced, the town could go back to the schedule it has been using.

01/08/2025

Selectmen will have two times for citizens' input during meetings

By GEORGE AUSTIN
SOMERSET - The selectmen on Wednesday decided that they will have time for citizens' input at the beginnings and ends of their meetings.
Selectmen Chair Allen Smith said he had a discussion with Town Administrator Mark Ullucci about citizens' input at selectmen's meetings.
Since he has been on the board, Smith said the selectmen have had time for citizens' input at different times during the meeting. When he first started, he said time for public input was given at the end of the meeting, which some people did not like because the board had already voted on issues before they could talk about them. He said citizens' input has also just been held at the beginnings of meetings and there were times when it was held at both the beginnings and ends of meetings. Recently, the citizens' input time has been at the beginnings of meetings.
Smith said the selectmen's meeting is a time to conduct town business. He said sometimes issues are brought up during citizens' input that are not under the purview or control of the selectmen.
Smith said the first citizens' input portion of the selectmen's meeting would be limited to business on the agenda of that night's meeting. He said issues outside of the agenda can be brought up during the citizens' input time at the end of the meeting.
Smith said that he does not want to limit the time that people can speak during citizens' input to three minutes, the way the Somerset School Committee does. He said sometimes people need more time than that to talk about an issue.
Selectman Todd Costa said he is all for citizens having access to government. He said he doesn't always like to hear things outside of the business of the board, but wants people to be able to speak their minds. He said the selectmen need to have broad shoulders.
Boards and committees in town government in Massachusetts are not required to offer time for citizens' input during their meetings, but the state encourages them to do so.

01/08/2025

Rocha appointed to Economic Development Committee

By GEORGE AUSTIN
SOMERSET - The selectmen on Wednesday appointed Isabella Rocha to the Somerset Economic Development Committee.
The Economic Development Committee works on issues related to attracting new businesses to town and supporting existing businesses in Somerset.
Paul Cogley, the chair of the Economic Development Committee, requested that Rocha be appointed to the committee to fill an unexpired term.
Rocha has served as a district intern for U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss.
Rocha is a 2025 graduate of the University of Rochester. She was one of 20 scholars selected for the Phi Beta Kappa Key into Public Service Scholarship. Rocha served as the president of the university's Model United Nations team and captain of the Mock Trial team. She was a political science research assistant from her sophomore to senior years. Her academic interests explored the effects of polarization on voter mobilization and policies focused on women's issues.
Selectmen Todd Costa said he met Rocha at a meeting. He said she is a lifelong resident of Somerset.
Selectmen Chair Allen Smith said the selectmen typically go along with Cogley's recommendations for appointments to the Economic Development Committee. He said the committee has worked well together and made significant strides in its work.
Given her background, Smith said Rocha will make a great addition to the committee.

01/08/2025

OBITUARY
Richard Briere
Served in Air Force during Korean War

SOMERSET - Richard T. Briere, 92, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family on July 30, 2025. He was the loving husband of Pauline (Cyr) Briere.
Richard was born in Fall River and was the son of the late Milton Briere and Elizabeth, (Braney) Briere.
Richard served his country honorably in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War and was a resident of Somerset since 1965. He was an electrical shop instructor for a short period of time at Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School. An electrical contractor by trade, Richard operated the former Briere and Sparks followed by Briere and Paquette Co. for many years until his retirement. Richard was well respected for his expertise in his trade and specialized in commercial and industrial buildings during his time.
Richard was also an avid golfer and longtime member of the Fall River Country Club and Naples Heritage Country Club. For many years he was an enthusiastic Red Sox and Patriots fan. He enjoyed sailing in his younger years and skiing with his family in New Hampshire. In retirement, winters were spent in Naples, FL with his wife where Richard enjoyed entertaining with friends, dancing, traveling and walking the beach and taking in the sunsets.
Surviving in addition to his wife are his children, Richard Briere, Jr (companion Bella) of Rehoboth, Patricia Pascarella (husband Stephen) of Swansea, Shawn Briere (wife Sally) of Somerset and Caroline McDonald (husband Peter) of Swansea; grandchildren, Christine Pascarella (partner Tim) of Seekonk, Stephanie Pascarella of Swansea and Mallorie and Meredith McDonald also of Swansea; great grandchildren, Kaleb, Madison and Luke and many nieces and nephews.
He was the brother of the late Marion Madonna, Normand Briere, Barbara Schroeder, Jean LeComte and Robert Briere.
The family wishes to acknowledge the kind and compassionate care provided to Richard by the staff of One Solution Home Care and Southcoast Health Hospice.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend a time of visitation on Monday, August 4, 2025 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Hathaway Community Home for Funerals, located at 900 Buffinton St. in Somerset. Prayers will begin at 11:30 a.m. in the funeral home.
A private family burial will follow.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer's Association.

01/08/2025

Learning about theater

The Kids Summer Learning Center at Somerset Berkley Regional High School offered a theater class this week. Children wrote their own story for a play, rehearsed it and chose songs for it. The children are scheduled to perform for their families tomorrow in the Dr. Robert Perry Performing Arts Center. Their play is called "Two Sisters and the Crown."

01/08/2025

Selectmen approve poll workers for election

By GEORGE AUSTIN
SOMERSET - The selectmen at their meeting on Wednesday night approved of poll workers for elections for the next year.
The poll workers have to be approved on an annual basis. The term for the appointments of this year's poll workers goes from Aug. 16, 2025 to Aug. 15 of 2026. The town has one election scheduled during that time which is the Annual Town Election.
Democratic, Republican and unenrolled poll workers were approved.
Town Clerk Caitlin Hadala said a couple of new poll workers were approved and a couple former poll workers decided to retire.
Selectmen Chair Allen Smith said there are good representations of both major political parties and independent voters in the list of poll workers.
The Democratic poll workers include Elizabeth Almeida, Dolores Blankenship, Dennis Binette, Cecile Byrne, Ashley Chasse, Marianne Jameson, Lynn LaTulippe, Susan Miller, Rosemary Pettine, Doris Rousseau, Gary Simons and Robert Taylor.
Republican poll workers who were approved by the selectmen include Patricia Buker, Kevin Conlon, Tracey Costa, Bernadette Coughlin, William Coughlin, Marjorie Furtado, Steven Gauthier, Dirceda Langfield, Jessica Machado, William Perry, Doris Tripp and George Tripp.
Unenrolled poll workers who were approved by the selectmen include Tammy Bienvenue, James Costa, Vivianne Costa, Ann Marie Couture, Denis Cunha, Heidi Dagwan, Lenny Demoranville, Nancy Fournier, Michelle Harrington, David Jameson, Caitlin Kosinski, Kathleen Maiato, Linda Marcoux, James Marcucilli, Bridget Marcote, Carol Martin, Carol Medeiros, Krista Medeiros, Bonnie Mendes, Mary Parent, Rachel Parent, Eduardo Saraiva, Pauline Sardinha, Patricia Simbro, Shelagh Taylor, Nancy Teasdale and Joseph Wood.

01/08/2025

Selectmen vote to send fluoride article to Legislature

By GEORGE AUSTIN
SOMERSET - The selectmen on Wednesday voted to petition the State Legislature for a home rule exemption to Massachusetts fluoridation law so that the town could put into place an ordinance banning community water fluoridation.
Voters at the May Annual Town Meeting approved a citizens' petition article asking the selectmen to go through that process that will allow the town to ban community water fluoridation in its public water supply.
At Wednesday's meeting, Selectmen Chair Allen Smith and Selectman Todd Costa approved of petitioning the state Legislature for the exemption to the state's fluoridation law. Selectman Jamison Souza did not attend the meeting because his daughter was competing in a national figure skating competition.
Smith said the article had been discussed at previous meetings of the Board of Selectmen and there have been email messages back and forth with the person who submitted the petition. He said he wanted to move forward with petitioning the Legislature for a home rule exemption.
The selectmen voted to submit language to the Legislature for the home rule exemption exactly as it appeared on the Town Meeting warrant.
An attorney for the town previously had questioned whether the article would be approved by the state because the town does not have ordinances. The town has bylaws which are similar to ordinances.
Costa said an attorney for the town sent back language to send to the Legislature that is essentially the same as the Town Meeting article but swaps the word bylaw for ordinance. He said the town has bylaws, not ordinances.
Smith said he did not want to change a word in the article. He said if Costa wanted to do that, it would be a tie vote and they would have to wait until they had a full board to break the tie.
Costa said that since Smith had dug his heels in so deep on the matter and the petitioner does not want to change the language of the article, who is he to change it. He said he would begrudgingly second the motion to submit the language of the article to the Legislature as is. They approved the article by a 2-0 vote.
Smith said there have been emails back and forth from the person who submitted the petition who did not want the language in the article changed. Resident Elizabeth Paskowski submitted the article for the Town Meeting.

31/07/2025

Somerset featured in magazine as a municipal blueprint for prosperity

SOMERSET - Somerset is featured in this month's issue of Business View Magazine that goes out to hundreds of thousands of subscribers around North America.
The article in the magazine looks at balancing growth and small town charm in Somerset, downtown revitalization and walkability, business incentives and economic development, waterfront development and infrastructure, quality of life, hidden gems, priorities for the town in the next 24 months and strategic positioning for future growth.
Business View Magazine serves both a national and global viewership. Their website states the following:
“Business View Magazine is North America’s best source of news for executives, entrepreneurs, small business owners, franchisees, and anyone else interested in current industry trends and best practices. Every month our digital platform covers the latest developments in manufacturing, construction, infrastructure, supply chain and logistics, health care, food and beverage, and energy.
We also cover the public sector, reporting on the latest advances in municipal public works, green initiatives, and college sustainability programs. It’s another reason that, each month, over 877,000 subscribers check out our reliable, relevant, newsworthy, and timely content.”
To view the article about Somerset in Business View Magazine, people can go to the link https://businessviewmagazine.com/civil-municipal/jul-2025/151/.

31/07/2025

Water and Sewer Commission meets with Fall River administrator of community utilities

By GEORGE AUSTIN
SOMERSET - The Somerset Water and Sewer Commission yesterday met with Paul Ferland, administrator of community utilities for Fall River, to discuss the possibility of Somerset tying into Fall River's sewer plant.
Tying into Fall River's sewer plant is one of two options the Water and Sewer Commission is evaluating to meet the requirements of a permit issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The other option is upgrading the Somerset water pollution control facility on Walker Street. The commission has hired the engineering firm of Wright-Pierce to help it analyze the two options. Representatives of Wright-Pierce were on hand at yesterday's meeting that was held at the Somerset water treatment plant.
Steven Cadorette, chair of the Somerset Water and Sewer Commission, asked Ferland if Fall River would be interested in a regional agreement with Somerset, rather than an intermunicipal agreement. A regional agreement would give Somerset representation on the Fall River Sewer Commission. Cadorette said there are other regional wastewater districts. Ferland said he is not sure how a regional sewer district would work out. He said sometimes there is an oversight committee that makes recommendations to a regional sewer plant. Ferland said there are different options for regionalization. He said it can be looked at. Ferland said he understands that the commission is asking about a regional agreement because it does not want to put itself in a position where it does not have a say in sewer rates and other subjects. Ferland said they can have a conversation about forming a regional sewer district. He said such an agreement would also impact Westport, Freetown and Tiverton, R.I., municipalities which purchase sewer service from Fall River. He said there has been talk of expanding service to Swansea and Dighton. Ferland said he thinks water and sewer service is going to be more in demand in the next 20 to 30 years in more areas.
Cadorette said on the website for the Town of Tiverton, it is explained that the town has no control over the sewer rate that is charged. He said he wouldn't want to say that to people in Somerset. Cadorette said that would not be in the best interests of Somerset. Ferland said that issue can be explored.
Cadorette asked Ferland if Fall River would be willing to charge a rate to Somerset for sewer service that is just based on treatment of sewage and not on costs for collection. Ferland said that could depend on where Somerset ties into the Fall River sewer system. He said there are costs for conveyance systems and pumping stations. Ferland said it would be tough to say that a sewer rate charged to Somerset would only be based on costs for treatment, but he said it is a negotiable topic.
Cadorette said a concern is that if the rate for Somerset was lower than Fall River's base rate because it was only based on treatment costs, would the city council approve such an agreement. Ferland said he could not say if the city council would approve such an agreement. Cadorette said that, politically, that would be a tough sell. He said it would have to be justified. Ferland said he could not say if the Fall River Sewer Commission or he would approve such a sewer rate for Somerset.
Cadorette said the commission is going to need to compare what sewer rates would be if the town's water pollution control facility is upgraded versus tying into Fall River's sewer plant. Ferland said he understands it could make sense to upgrade the water pollution control facility over tying into the Fall River sewer plant. He said they need to figure out the break even point in the costs. Cadorette said he thinks the commission is close to figuring out that break even point.
Cadorette said Fall River charges a 55 percent markup from Fall River's base rate to the towns it provides sewer service to. Ferland said it is a 55 percent markup up to a certain gallonage the markup is five percent. He said the markup used to be 70 percent. He said if Fall River used the same cap for the gallonage for Somerset, Somerset would probably be over it everyday.
Cadorette said Wright-Pierce is close to revising the estimates it made to upgrading the water pollution control facility versus tying into the Fall River sewer plant. He said those figures could be discussed at a public meeting at the end of August or maybe even before then.
Ferland said approvals from Fall River boards and the mayor would be needed for an agreement with Somerset. Cadorette said the commission would need approval from the Somerset Board of Selectmen.
There was no sewer rate increase in Fall River this year. Ferland said there had been a proposed five percent increase in the rate, but the Fall River City Council decided to use money from the general fund for the sewer department budget so that there did not have to be a rate increase. Cadorette asked if that money will need to be made up next year in the Fall River sewer budget. Ferland said he would know that when they go through the budget process.
Water and Sewer Commissioner Robert Lima asked Ferland if Somerset could get a lower base rate than is already in place in Fall River. Ferland said if Somerset's sewage was not going through Fall River's pumping stations and other parts of its system, there could be a case for that.
Kevin Olson, a senior project manager for Wright-Pierce, asked Ferland what he sees for rate increases in Fall River for the next five years. Ferland said that is tough to do. He said the Fall River sewer department does zero based budgeting. He said there was a large increase last year, because retained earnings were previously being used in the budget.
Ferland said the other towns that receive Fall River sewer service pay above the base rate, under intermunicipal agreements, but if Fall River's base rate does not go up, the rates for the towns do not go up. The Fall River City Council and mayor approve the budget and rates for the sewer department.
Lima asked Ferland how much debt the Fall River Sewer Department carries. Ferland said the department has about $13 million in debt. Lima said a lot of federal funds are being eliminated or cut. Ferland said Fall River does not get subsidies for its sewer budget. He said the city has been awarded grants for capital improvements. Ferland said the Fall River sewer department does not fund large capital projects through its operational budget, so it doesn't impact the rate structure. He said the department makes sure it already has the money before it does a project.
Cadorette asked Ferland where Fall River is with its EPA permit. Ferland said the city got a draft of the permit last year and then an updated version this year. He said he has met with the EPA in Washington, D.C. and in the federal agency's regional office to brief them with concerns. If the final permit is the same as the draft, he said he will have concerns. Cadorette asked what type of upgrade needs to be made to the Fall River sewer plant to comply with the permit. If the requirements in the first draft are kept, Ferland said it could cost $300 million over a 10 to 15 year period. He said he does not want to accept the nitrogen discharge limit that has been proposed by EPA. He said the Fall River sewer department does have a lot of debt service that will be coming off the books.
Kevin Olson, a senior project manager for Wright-Pierce, asked Ferland to elaborate more on capital improvements for the Fall River sewer plant and collection system and their potential impact on sewer rates. Ferland said there are some debt services that are being paid for through the sewer rate and a few of them will be coming off the books soon. He said the bigger the customer base, the less burden there is on each individual rate payer.
"To expand the customer base helps all the customers," Ferland said.
Ferland thanked the commission for meeting with him. He said he knows it is a tough decision and said it is a generational decision to make. Ferland said he knows it would be tough to change for Somerset, but he said they need to look at growth and the impact of more customers. He said everyone is going to have to deal with stricter standards for sewer plants.
Cadorette said the discussion with Ferland was a productive meeting. Ferland said Fall River is willing to provide more information to Somerset and its consultant and work with them on the evaluation of tying into the Fall River sewer plant. Cadorette said the commission would let him know when it has a break even number for if the town could tie into Fall River's sewer plant.
Elizabeth Paskowksi, who has run for a seat on the Water and Sewer Commission in the town election two times and has been a regular attendee of the commission's meetings, said during the public input portion of the meeting that she has asked the commission multiple times over the past year to meet with Ferland. The Urgent Sewer Sense group wants the ratepayers to pick the option for addressing the town's sewer needs.

31/07/2025

Board of Health addresses concerns about arsenic at Brayton Point site

By GEORGE AUSTIN
SOMERSET - The Board of Health last night voted to authorize Health Agent Timothy Turner, Town Administrator Mark Ullucci and Special Counsel Arthur Frank to take any and all actions necessary up to a cease and desist order to protect the neighborhood from operations on the site of the former Brayton Point power plant.
Residents are concerned about arsenic that has been found in the top two inches of soil where Brayton Point LLC wants to grade the property.
That arsenic was found in sampling done by a firm hired by Brayton Point LLC. Todd Costa, the chair of the Board of Health, said he wants the town to hire a third party to do sampling to see if the prior sampling and analysis of it is accurate.
Frank said that if a cease and desist order is put on the property, there can be conditions that have to be fulfilled to lift it. He said those conditions could include the town seeing a construction management plan and facilities plan.
Board of Health member Allen Smith said areas of the former coal fired power plant property that have higher levels of arsenic need to be barricaded off to prevent vehicles that could stir up dust from going over them.
Costa said the meeting to discuss and act on soil reports on the Brayton Point property was called to address any health concerns that could arise from short term and long term hazards on the property. The selectmen act as the Board of Health in Somerset.
Resident Paul Healey, a retired public health physician, said that in three cells on the property, arsenic and zinc have been found in the top two inches of soil. He said the site should have been covered over with membrane, earth and grass. He said the spread of those contaminants is imminent. Healey said the whole area on the site is contaminated with multiple other chemicals. He said they don't know how far the contaminants reach to the perimeter of the property. He said people who work on the property could get contaminants on their clothes and then bring them into the community. He said he would be very happy to see additional testing for contaminants on the site.
Edward Souza, who worked on the site for 27 years when it was a power plant, said people should be on the site everyday to monitor for dust, but they are not. He said he has not seen pro-active dust control on the property. He said there should be a facilities management plan to take care of the property, on top of a construction management plan.
Souza said he would assume arsenic and zinc on the property comes from coal ash from the old power plant which could be found throughout the property. He said he believes the site was sealed and capped by the power plant. He said the site where the coal pile was that was encapsulated was ripped up by the company that bought by the property, but people don't know where that material was taken. He said the site needs to be recovered. Souza said doctors, like Healey, or independent doctors should speak about the situation. He said the property should already be covered. He said doing nothing puts all of Somerset at risk.
"I think the whole site needs to be investigated," Souza said.
Resident Peter Pelletier said residents know there is work being done on the site because they hear trucks and noise on the site. He said there are trucks going in and out of the site that are moving material. Pelletier said looking at Google Earth shows that material is being moved. He said there should be a log of where material is being taken from and where it is being put. He said the company said it was removing soil when zinc was removed. Smith said if the company was removing soil with zinc in it, that means it was removing soil with arsenic in it, as well.
Resident Kathleen Souza said there are new swings in a park in the neighborhood that are less than 2,000 feet away from the soil contaminated with arsenic that Brayton Point LLC wants to grade. She said notification to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was required because of the contaminants found in the soil. She said the company that owns the property has been fined by the state's Attorney General's Office and DEP for past activities.
Kathleen said the company has been actively working on an uncapped site that has arsenic in it. She said that concrete has also been crushed on the site. Smith said that the town has a bylaw that prohibits crushing of concrete.
Resident Amy Rigtrup said that Roux needs to take into consideration that there is no goodwill from the owner of the property owner, rather than giving the owner the benefit of the doubt. She said Brayton Point LLC has had no respect for compliance issues, public health or rules. Rigtrup said her children have spent some of the most important developmental years of their lives during the past 7 1/2 years breathing stuff in from the site.
Edward Weagle, a principal geologist for Roux environmental consulting and management firm, which is the town's consultant, said recent soil sampling identifies some levels of contaminants above state reportable concentrations. He said the site is pretty much not accessed by the general public, so it doesn't affect public health. While there is no activity on site, he said it also does not affect the environment beyond the standards of the state. Weagle said he knows some people don't think the state standards are strict enough. He said the state believes if the site is managed appropriately, there won't be a health impact.
Kathleen said she disagreed there is not a public health issue on the property.
Costa said the concern is that dust from that part of the property could go into the neighborhood if grading work is done on the property. He said that is a potential threat to the public being exposed to arsenic.
Weagle said any work on the site should be done with a construction management plan which should explain protection for dust leaving the property. He said the licensed site professional for the property provides oversight for the site. Smith said the license site professional is paid by Brayton Point LLC which owns the property. Weagle said the community can request documentation from the licensed site professional. He said quite a bit of sampling has been done on the site and said the licensed site professional is required to use statistical methods and conservative assumption. He said he did not think more sampling needed to be done unless something unusual was observed on the property.
Resident Michael Langfield asked Weagle if he would move his family to the neighborhood near the old power plant site, knowing what he does. Weagle said he would not because the area is not appropriate for residential development.
Smith said the same firm for the licensed site professional was used for a scrap metal operation on the site. He said a judge in land court found the licensed site professional from the scrap metal operation to not be credible.
Smith said this summer has been more severe for storms and heavy winds. He said if there was a 50 mile per hour wind, there is probably a pretty good chance that dust from the site could get to homes in the area.
Smith said there are areas of the site that were encapsulated when Brayton Point LLC bought the property, but said those areas are now exposed and have been for a period of time since the property was purchased 7 1/2 years ago, so there has been a cumulative risk which the state looks for. He said there could be other contaminants besides arsenic and zinc on the property.
Smith said that in a response to an email message that Kathleen Souza sent to DEP, it looks like the state agency wants to look into federal regulations which may be more stringent than state regulations.
Costa asked if it was Weagle's opinion that with concentrations of potentially hazardous substances in the top soil, the soil should not be disturbed and if it is, there should be a plan to control it. Weagle said he wants to see a construction management plan from Brayton Point LLC.
Costa said he would ask Roux to do sampling and analysis so the town knows exactly what it is dealing with in the soil. Weagle said his firm would look at the work that has already been done there and then would happily do that work for the town.
Costa said trucks were moving sand and dirt on the site recently. He said knowing what he knows now, he does not feel comfortable with that.
Smith said the town should request a ring of monitors be put around the area. He said he wants the dust to be tested, so the town can see what is in it. He said that should be done right away. Costa said all safe guards need to be in place before one inch of dirt is moved.
Smith said the grading area has to be encapsulated. He said storm water and public health implications should be looked at. Smith said Brayton Point LLC knew they were buying a contaminated site.
Frank said the Board of Health is entrusted to ensure the health and wellness of citizens. He said if there is a perceived threat to citizens, a cease and desist order can be put on the site.
Costa asked if a cease and desist order could be put on the site until the town can get more information. Frank said if there is a perceived threat, he thinks the town can do that. He said the courts are supposed to be on the side of health and safety. If a truck drove over the soil, he said it could be enough to get an order from the court.
Costa said there is no reason for Brayton Point LLC to do work on the property now. He said they don't have a customer for the property.
Costa said a cease and desist order would apply to the whole property because they know there are contaminants throughout it. He said he has an obligation to protect the public. Costa said mitigation measures would be put in with a construction management plan.
One resident asked if contaminants from the site could be going into the Taunton River. Smith said there are photographs of water from retention ponds on the site being pumped into the Taunton River.
Economic Development Committee Chair Paul Cogley said it sounds like there needs to be someone on the old power plant site at least during the daylight hours to monitor what is going on there to see if they are doing anything wrong. He said the company may not comply to a cease and desist order. The company did not comply to a cease and desist order when there was a scrap metal operation on the site. The town fined the company over $3 million for violating that cease and desist order. The company has not paid those fines, so the town has put a lien on the property. Cogley said someone needs to be hired to monitor the site everyday.
Costa asked what authority the town's health agent has to access the site on unannounced visits. Frank said that without permission of the owner of the property, the health agent would need an administrative search order with probable cause. Costa said if an administrative order is needed to take soil samples, the town will do that, because it has probable cause for arsenic.
Pelletier asked if vehicles could be stopped from going into the area where contaminants have been found.
Pelletier said an area saltmarsh should be tested for contaminants.
Kathleen Souza said that if a cease and desist order is put on the property, she would like no decisions related to the property to be made by town boards while the order is in effect. The company is currently seeking a modification from the Conservation Commission on an order of conditions the commission put on the grading project.
Costa said that people can submit written comments related to last night's meeting for the next 10 days after the meeting. He said they would be reviewed and there would be responses to them.
"This board takes this very seriously," Costa said.

The Somerset Sentinel

01/08/2025

01/08/2025

01/08/2025

01/08/2025

01/08/2025

01/08/2025

01/08/2025

01/08/2025

31/07/2025

31/07/2025

31/07/2025

Address

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Share