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69 BOARD OF HEALTH MEETING JANUARY 9, 1978 The regular meeting of the Board of Health was held Monday, January 9, 1978 in the Health Department Office at 7:00 P.M. Members present were: Dr. William L. Cosgrove, Chairman; Mr. James W. Lambie, Dr. Michael S. Erdos and George A. Smith, Director of Public Health. The minutes of the December 5, 1977 meeting were approved as submitted. Mr. Smith explained that at one of the meetings with the State Engineers Mr. Hutchinson, Town Manager, asked if garbage could be placed in the land fill. GARBAGE IN LANDFILL The reply, at that time, that the State Engineer, Mr. McLaughlin, gave was "Yes" in a properly operated landfill if the garbage is wrapped and buried in accordance with the regulations." That, went on Mr. Smith, is what prompted the action by the Town Manager to state that garbage collection would be stopped and people would have to carry their garbage to the landfill. Mr. McLaughlin's reply to Mr. Hutchinson was in regard to a properly run landfill and this is not a properly operated landfill here in Lexington. Mr. Lambie said he felt Mr. Hutchinson should present a plan for this operation to the Board so that it can be studied and this plan should also be presented to the State for their approval or suggestions. Mr. Smith said if this plan is carried out he felt the Air Force should be notified because of the hazards of the increase in gulls. He also went on to say that there isn't a week go by that the department does not receive a number of complaints regarding the storage of rubbish in neighborhoods and he said he felt this plan to hold garbage by individuals would just aggravate a bad situation. Dr. Cosgrove said he had received a number of calls regarding this plan but he had been only able to tell the people that the final decision would come from the Board of Selectmen, not the Board of Health. Mr. Smith said he felt he could not recommend this as a good practice. Mr. Lambie said he felt we should write to the State to see if we should allow this plan to be put in operation. Mr. Smith said he felt that we should have a plan to submit to the State first. Mr. Lambie said he felt that we should write to the Town Manager re- questing a plan and also to state to him that this Board had reservations that the operation would meet the State regulations. Dr. Erdos asked what problem had the Town encountered with the Lincoln Street dump? It was explained that rats from the dump became quite a. problem for about four or five years after the Lincoln Street dump was closed.