MINUTES
BOARD OF HEALTH WORKSHOP
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2011 AT 9AM
PRESENT: Dr. James Taylor, Chairman, Pat Lariviere, R.N., Co-Chairman, Beverly Knox, R.N., Dr. Lois Roth-Johnson, Dr. Martin Haspel, Jane Crowley, M.S., R.S., HealthAgent, Susan Barker, John Knight, Sandy Bayne
I. OPENING STATEMENTS
Jane Crowley provided updates since the last Board of Health Meeting:
· Water Testing Program – updates will be included in the presentation to follow later in the meeting
· Health Department – it has had a busy month between testing, the pond project and the wastewater committee
· Water Project - Jane and Sheila Vanderhoef met with the DEP in Lakeville to review the municipal water project application process and the work to date of the consultants. The objective was to also request a review process and to unify their work to streamline regulatory review of our project.
· Unused prescription medication seminar – Jane and Susan Barker attended a seminar on December 9, 2011 that was fantastic. The 7 to 8 speakers discussed various aspects of the topic.. This would be a good connection for us to make to join efforts with Eastham’s water testing. The seminar was videotaped and it will be posted on the website. Jane will send out the link when it is available.
· Pond Project – is moving forward and Sandy will present the current recommendations to the BOH at this meeting. The BOH can make up their priority list (full or first one, two or three, etc) or they can support Water Management Committee’s recommendation or even make no comment. The Board of Selectmen will make the final decision on the first 2 ponds to receive remediation. Meanwhile, Ecologic & GHD are working now to get the permits needed for our project.
II. EASTHAM POND PROJECT REPORT
Sandy Bayne provided a review of the Water Management Committee (WMC) proposal to be presented to the BOS along with their recommendations:
· The final report is done and the ponds have been ranked. However, there was one technical error in the report that was just identified. Minister/Schoolhouse pond does have 2 basins, however it is 1 pond and not 2 as noted in the report. It is also over 10 acres in side and so open to the public, both the pond and the land under the water. Based on this, the state would support remediation of this pond. This was further explained in the handout that Sandy provided at the BOH Workshop.
· Based on the project, Eastham’s objective is to develop plans and obtain permits to remediate 2 ponds this year. The WMC agrees with the recommendation of the pond consultants to include Herring Pond as a deep pond and one that demonstrates the strongest need for remediation. The remediation for this pond will be to treat with Alum. However, the WMC will ask the BOS to support Minister/Schoolhouse as the 2nd pond for remediation and the remediation applied would be Best Management Practices (education, public support and pond management) and a strategy to be adopted that needs further investigation.
· The WMC believes this approach would provide Eastham with the benefit of 2 models (a deep and a shallow pond) to fully evaluate and review when making decisions for the remaining ponds.
· The BOH commented that Eastham’s Natural Resources should play a big role in the education and management to ensure its success. This is a budgetary concern currently and the BOH hopes that the BOS will plan for this for the future.
· General discussion took place regarding Alum, testing for aluminum and mercury, potential opposition to the recommendation and Great Pond as an option for one of the first 2 ponds.
· Jane will be meeting with others to identify concerns and address them as needed.
Dr. James Taylor made the motion to support Sandy’s recommendation to select Herring Pond as a deep pond and Minister/Schoolhouse as a shallow pond for the first 2 ponds to receive remediation. Remediation for Herring Pond would be Alum treatment and remediation for Minister/Schoolhouse Pond would be Best Management Practices and a strategy to be developed.
Pat Lariviere seconded the motion.
SO VOTED UNAMIMOUSLY
III. UPDATE ON TOWN WIDE WATER TESTING PROGRAM
Jane Crowley presented a report on the Water Testing program with the results for the past 3 cycles (9 years). The data presented supported the need for Eastham to proceed with a project to develop municipal water for the town and the following conclusions were discussed:
· Slow increase in nitrate levels
· Decrease in the number of wells with lowest range of nitrate levels
· Local variation over time as ground water moves
· Water quality problem is not isolated in one area
· Well water issues are a community concern
· 40% of the Town’s private wells are reporting Nitrate Levels at 2+ ppm (parts per minute)
· >10% of the Town’s private wells are reporting Nitrate Levels at 5+ ppm (parts per minute)
· Percentage of <2 ppm (good) wells is decreasing each cycle
· Percentage of 2 to 5 ppm (at risk) wells is increasing each cycle
· Percentage of >5 ppm (bad) wells is about the same, however, the property owners are educated in the importance to fix these wells based on their overall water quality
IV. OTHER BUSINESS/CORRESPONDENCE
None
V. ADJOURN
10:45AM
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