EBOL Public Documents from the East Boston Chelsea Creek Action Group
Meeting Minutes – June 28, 1999 Attending: Nancei Radicchi, Lucy DelMuto, Mary Ellen Welch, Roberta Marchi,, Ana Maria Gomez, Andrew Klein, Patrice Maye, Fred Harding, Anna Lane, Rosa Fields, Christopher Blackler, John Vitagliano, Arlene Gehrig, Sargent Kenneth O’Brien (District 7), Ana Maria DaHora (EBECC), Charlie Lord (Watershed Initiative - WSI) and Stacey Chacker (NOAH). May meeting minutes: Reviewed and accepted. Updates/Announcements: EBECC’s - Chelsea Creek related plans: Ana Maria DaHora presented EBECC’s plans to have their Summer Youth Landscape Training Program plant in tree pits and planters, and put in window boxes along Meridian Street – from the Meridian Street Bridge to Marion Street. They are looking for people to adopt a tree, and volunteers to help with a celebratory block party on August 21st. Participants pointed out that residents would like to see Keyes Square improved, and are interested in helping. CCAG Environmental Fair – planning this cross-creek event for September 18th. The following agreed to help plan the fair – Mary Ellen, Roberta, Nancei, and Patrice (PR). We will also ask EBHS students to do something (Please note, we have subsequently decided to postpone the event, until we have a full-time coordinator). Research project with EPA –EPA is focusing on what people do/do not want to see as a starting point. WSI intern is working on a report with EPA on businesses that are hazardous waste sites and are polluting the river. EPA has printed aerial photos with hazardous waste sites on it. The goal is to bring information back to the August 16th or Sept. meeting. It was suggested that we have a joint CCAG meeting to hear the results. History Sub-committee – to document history of Chelsea Creek. A goal could be to have an annual re-enactment in East Boston/Chelsea of the Battle. Edith and Roberta volunteered. Condor Street Urban Wild: 2nd Design Workshop scheduled for – July 14th Outreach for design meetings – keep putting flyers out and press releases. DEP (MA Dept. of Environmental Protection) as assigned a staff person to oversee clean up of Urban Wild. Hess EB-CCAG/NOAH hired Licensed Site Professional (LSP), Irwin Silverstein from Meta Environmental, with MA. Dept. of Environ Protection Technical Assistance Grant. Arthur, Ana Maria, Fran, Stacey and Charlie interviewed candidates and selected the LSP. The LSP is reviewing the Hess and Condor Street Urban Wild documents for us (mostly Hess), and will make sure that they are doing adequate analysis, etc. Review clean-up process – where we are and where we’re going Under hazardous waste site clean up law, Hess is required to submit following reports to DEP: Phase I – initial investigation (completed). Phase II – comprehensive site assessment (what’s there). This includes a "risk assessment" (what kinds of risks exist). They have two years from the end of Phase I to complete Phase II. (In draft form; final report due December 1999). Phase III – Review of alternatives on how to clean up the site. (Due at end of 1999). Phase IV – The design of the action clean-up plan. This phase will determine what the final site will be used for/look like. Owners can propose an Activity and Use Limitation (AUL). An AUL determines the level to which they need to clean up (for example, if there were to be a park or day care center, they would need to clean up to a much higher standard than for an industrial site). Although reports are submitted to DEP; Hess’ LSP is the one who will "sign-off" on these reports. This is one of the reasons we have hired an LSP. EB-CCAG is working to make sure the site is cleaned up properly, to figure out if the site is polluting the river (and if so, to stop that), and to effect the future use of the site (one that the community agrees to and compliments the Urban Wild). There will be things that will come up in the next year that we will be able to comment on (principally, the Phase III and IV reports and the AUL). In order to influence decisions, we will need to use publicity, pressure the DEP. Review LSP draft letter to Hess: Our LSP Irwin Silverstein wrote a draft letter commenting on Hess’ "Final Investigation Report" sent in May. Andrew led us through draft letter (Irwin could not attend this meeting). The group approved sending in a final version to Hess. (see enclosed final comment letter, and Irwin’s layperson’s explanation letter). We are requesting Hess to allow EB-CCAG representatives attend monthly site inspection meetings with Hess. Andrew and John volunteered to attend these (we will ask Arthur if he wants to as well, and will ask Irwin to attend the first one). Other sites/misc: Condor Street Truck Ban – there is a truck ban on Condor Street, yet trucks still drive through – especially when bridges up. Police volunteered to monitor the street. Stacey will see if she can get youth group to do a truck count. – especially Indira and Rosa will work with Arthur and others who are interested to build on the existing map we have to document this type of information. Indira will videotape Arthur. Boston Public Works Yard – Lucy spoke to the Assistant of the Superintendent. They continue to clean up the site. There are two piles of debris. They have repaired the fence, but the salt pile is still not covered. The street light doesn’t work. Logan Commerce Park (proposed at 480 McLellan Highway): this company is planning to build a truck cargo and office facility at this site. Nancei attended the Boston Conservation Commission Hearing in June. A sub-committee (with members of Air Inc., Friends of Belle Isle, and Orient Height residents) met to discuss the issues, and will attend the Boston Conservation Commission hearing on July 7th. Stacey Chacker recorded these minutes to her best recollection. Please call 569-0059 ext. 13 to make changes within 30 days. posted on EBOL on
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