|
|
|
GREENVILLE - Town officials could learn by late August whether their proposed corrective actions will be enough to convince the Department of Environmental Protection to allow the continued use of the landfill. The DEP has moved to close the grandfathered landfill because of groundwater contamination, but town officials and the town's engineer from Civil Engineering Services Inc. believe the groundwater can be improved if certain changes are made. Meanwhile, they do not want to implement the costly changes unless they are certain the DEP will not allow its continued operation. Town officials learned Wednesday that DEP officials will meet with them and the town's engineer, Shawn Small of CES, on Aug. 10 in Bangor to evaluate the proposed corrective actions. A similar meeting will follow in two weeks to resolve the matter. "We remain hopeful that we'll be able to implement our corrective actions and keep our landfill open," Greenville Town Manager John Simko said Thursday. Simko said Small believes that physical changes to the landfill will limit contamination. The DEP, however, thinks the corrective actions over the long term will not completely mitigate the groundwater contamination at the landfill. In addition to the landfill, selectmen on Wednesday were given an update on the condition of the town's extrication equipment, according to Simko. Fire Chief John Cobb told selectmen that firefighters want to replace the 20-year-old Jaws of Life, which is not as reliable as it should be. The company that produced the equipment is now out of business, and because of a patent dispute, no replacement parts exist, Cobb told selectmen. The worry is that if the equipment breaks down, the town has no backup. "That's very concerning to us," Simko said. Firefighters have agreed to dedicate their fundraising efforts to the purchase of a new extrication device expected to cost up to $25,000. To help toward that end, selectmen agreed to dedicate $12,000 of the department's equipment reserve account for the purchase, Simko said. An update was provided to the board on the Junction Wharf project. Town officials are collaborating with engineers at the University of Maine to replace the rotting wharf with wood plastic beams. Small of CES Inc. will provide the town with a detailed cost estimate for the work within the next three weeks. The town has some funds for the project, but will need more, Simko said It is hoped that the top beams that are exposed could be replaced this year and the rest of the wharf finished next year. New property values from a revaluation will be mailed out soon to property owners. Residents who want to meet with the assessor to discuss the calculations will be able to do so in early August. Simko said residents who have a problem with the new property values should call the town office and schedule a visit before the tax bills are mailed in September or early October. |