MONSON CONSERVATION COMMISSION
JANUARY 18, 2012
MEMBERS PRESENT; Leslie Duthie, Audra Staples, Glenn Colburn and Davis Johnson
MEMBERS ABSENT: Dana Staples
7:10 Rodney Lobik 120 Moulton Hill Road met informally with the Commission to discuss a pond on his property that overflows when there is a heavy rain fall.
Leslie Duthie stated the Commission received a call from an abutter who was concerned that water was overflowing onto his property in the vicinity of his well. The abutter also called the Board of Health and the Commission made a site visit with Lorri McCool, Health Agent. Ms. Duthie stated they did not go onto Mr. Lobik’s property but could certainly see that water was flowing from the pond onto the abutting property. She questioned if there was anything controlling the inlet?
Mr. Lobik stated all of the water from his property flows into the spillway and into the pond. The water flows down the mountain into the spillway and pond.
Leslie Duthie questioned if there was anything to control how much water flows into the pond.
Mr. Lobik stated there were no controls in or out and when there is a lot of rain this happens. It has been like this for many years but this year has been exceptionally wet..
Leslie Duthie stated the abutter was concerned that his well water would be contaminated.
Mr. Lobik stated an artesian well does not have surface water going into it so there would be no contamination.
Leslie Duthie stated the abutter is also experiencing problems with water flowing into his basement during a heavy rain. The Commission would like to make a site visit to see exactly what is happening. Ms. Duthie questioned the depth of the pond?
Mr. Lobik stated it is 7 feet deep near the spillway side.
Leslie Duthie stated she noticed there were test wells on the property.
Mr. Lobik stated there was a fire on the property in 1994 and as a result of that the Department of Environmental Protection ordered three monitoring wells put in. The wells have been monitored and nothing has shown up. Mr. Lobik stated he tries not to disturb much in that area because the greater the disturbance the greater the problem.
Leslie Duthie stated she looked at maps of the property Norcross purchased in that area to get a better understanding of the water flow.
Leslie Duthie stated the Commission saw how full the pond is at this time. She questioned if Mr. Lobik would object if the Commission made a visit to his property in the springtime with the Health Agent Lorri McCool.
Mr. Lobik stated he had no objection. He stated he has never changed the elevation the pond has been there 50 years and this happens every once in a while, usually in the spring but this has been an exceptionally wet year. The swamp is full of water right now.
Leslie Duthie stated she believed mid to late March or early April would be a good time to visit the site. The Commission will look at the swamp and try to determine what is happening.
Mr. Lobik stated the spillway handles all of the water. He stated he had a conversation with his neighbor about the surface water and also told him to check the pipe under his driveway it is a 10 inch pipe and that could be blocked.
7:35 NOI ExxonMobile Fenton Road 228-0332. Seth Lajoie representing ExxonMobile stated it has taken time to file with the Army Corps of Engineers and to work with DEP, Mark Stinson to address his comments. The work involves a pipeline wash out off of Fenton Road nothing has changed from the original filing other than an addendum for one to one replacement and monitoring the replication for two years. Typically the area of the wash out is excavated and the top twelve inches of soil stockpiled on uplands, the repair is completed and the top soil replaced, within two to three months the disturbance is difficult to see. The installation of a 48 inch pipe is to prevent the washout of the existing petroleum pipeline. The integrity of the slope will be maintained by the installation of rip
rap.
Leslie Duthie stated the DEP does not have the advantage of a site visit and sometimes the comments do not apply to that particular area.
Mr. Lajoie stated that DEP asked for bio remediation but after much back and forth it has been worked out and if the Commission has all the information it needs he would ask that the hearing be closed and an Order of Conditions issued.
Leslie Duthie questioned when the work would commence?
Mr. Lajoie stated as soon as it is practical, if there is a couple of feet of snow they would wait until it was possible to access the site.
Leslie Duthie stated the Commission was waiting for the information from the Army Corps of Engineers and that has been provided and would entertain a motion to close the hearing and issue an order of conditions.
Audra Staples so moved.
Davis Johnson seconded the motion.
It was so voted unanimous.
7:50 Colin Duncan National Grid met informally with the Commission to discuss the beaver removal on Nieske Road. He stated they have trapped and removed the beaver there are two dams there that will be lowered.
Glenn Colburn stated that he walks that area frequently but has not seen the water overtop the road in quite awhile.
Mr. Duncan stated the beaver have been taken out but it is going to be long term maintenance. Natural Heritage & Endangered Species have been contacted to keep them aware of the project and people from Oxbow will be on site when the dam is dismantled. Mike Callahan will lower the dam a foot or so and then come back in the spring and continue to monitor for new activity.
Glenn Colburn questioned if there was a dam under the culvert?
Mr. Duncan stated there are two dams a small one under the right of way, another a little further up. He stated he understood that the Commission wanted a beaver deceiver there as part of the mitigation for the upgrade of the power lines but beaver fencing would not work well for the other species in the area.
Leslie Duthie stated this has been a problem area for a long time and the Commission had hoped that a solution would have been a beaver deceiver.
Mr. Duncan stated up stream on the property that the Commission recently acquired he had a quote for the removal of the Japanese knotweed and would be putting a plan together to address the mitigation associated with work on the National Grid upgrade.
Leslie Duthie stated she was always happy to see the invasive species removed. The Commission also thought about a small area with stone large enough to park two cars by the gate that is there.
Mr. Duncan stated he was not sure that National Grid would agree to parking on the access road he would have to go back and discuss that with them.
Glenn Colburn stated speaking of the gate it is locked and if the Commission should decide to lease the small field in the back of the property it would need access.
Mr. Duncan stated he believed the previous owner would just cut off the lock when she needed access and then replace it.
8:10 The Commission signed a Certificate of Compliance for 143 Upper Hampden Road, Cathy Salas. Glenn Colburn and Leslie Duthie made site visit and found that the work is substantially in conformance with the plan approved by the Conservation Commission.
The Commission signed the Order of Conditions for the Monson Parks & Recreation Department work involved with the maintenance of the athletic fields on State Street and Washington Street.
8:15 MAIL
- Copy of the contract and land project agreement for the grant for the Quinlan land. The Commission signed the documents and will forward them to the Board of Selectmen’s Office for signature.
- Various building permits.
Audra Staples moved to accept the minutes of December 28, 2011 as presented.
Glenn Colburn seconded the motion.
It was so voted unanimous.
8:30 Leslie Duthie moved to adjourn.
Glenn Colburn seconded the motion.
It was so voted unanimous.
Respectfully submitted,
Linda A. Hull
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