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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1961-02-17465 BOARD OF HEALTH MEETING FEBRUARY 17, 1961 The regular meeting of the Board of Health was held Friday, February 17, 1961 at 3:00 P.M. in the Selectmen's Room of the Town Office Building. Members present were Dr. William Cosgrove, Mr. Charles Cole and Health Officer, Mark D. Lurvey. The minutes of the January meeting were accepted with a few minor corrections and the Clerk was instructed to note these changes before the minutes were incooperated in the permanent record book. Mr. Frank Heaney, of Fay, Spofford and Thorndike, Inc. and LAND FILL 1 John Carroll, Superintendent of Public Wroks, attended this meeting PROGRAM to discuss the ten possible sites that could be used for a Sanitary SURVEY; Land Fill Program in Lexington. & SITE The company Mr. Heaney represents have been authorized by the Selectmen to conduct a study of refuse collection and disposal on a Land Fill Program for the Town of Lexington. Mr. Heaney requested to meet with the Board of Health to explain the Land Fill Program and to discuss the possible selection of sites made by him from the public health standpoint. Mr. Heaney explained that a Sanitary Land Fill Program properly run must be rigidly controlled. It is advisable that an area of about 10 feet be filled in at a time. This is covered with sand constantly during the filling procedure and is then covered with two feet of sand on the top. It was stressed by Mr. Heaney that a pourous material must be used for covering any of the refuse dumped in a Sanitary Land Fill program. The reasons for using sand is because sand is pourous and acts as a leaching material for drainage and secondly it is pour- ous enough to dissipate any gases in the winter weather. Mr. Heaney impressed on the Board that a cover material such as peat, clay or loam is not satisfactory. A properly run Sanitary Land Fill. Program will use about 50 yards of sand a day, this sand is stored in stock piles. Weekly collection of material has proved to be the most satisfactory in running a Land Fill Program. Whether this collection is run by the town or by private disposal companies is a matter for the Towns people to decide. A Town operated rubbish collection service would. cost about $20,000.00 or better. If a town collection is not advisable at the present time a transfer station can be considered for people who take their own rubbish to the dump now. Mr. Cole asked how soon a Land Fill Program could be built upon. Mr. Heaney said for industrial areas this land can be used right away. as the land used for the Land Fill Program is usually used as the parking area and as the acess roads are permanent roads to start with the Land Fill Area makes an ideal location for industrial sites. Mr. Heaney explained that Lexington still had sufficient land for a Land Fill Program and that in his survey he felt that a Land Fill Program would be best for Lexington. 466 L. V. N. A. POTTER'S An incinerator requires the initial Dost of building and the cost of maintenance is high. Compost grinding is a method some- times used and takes about 24 hours to complete the operation. This type of procedure uses a machine which grinds all refuse and this ground refuse is then cooked in a kettle under controlled heat and humidity. The comparative costs of a Land Fill Program and an incinerator are relatively close. Mr. Heaney explained that in some towns where an incinerator is built the cost of operating it is re- duced by contracting the use of it to other towns, Mr. Heaney explained where there are streams or brooks running through a Land Fill Site the stream is piped in order to avoid any pollution to the water flowing through the Land Fill Area. The piping of the brooks or streams, fencing and sand cover is all figured in the cost of a Land Fill Program. After the site for a Land Fill Program is designated by the Board of Health and the Town Officials the State Health Department must be notified. The State Health Department must visit the site before a final decision can be made. Mr. Lurvey asked about rodent control and Mr. Heaney ex- plained that a properly run Sanitary Land Fill Program would be almost rodent free. Also a set-up is made for an exterminator to keep thesite free of all roaches, vermon and any other type of insect. The Board of Health stated they would take under study the ten locations of sites presented by Mr. Heaney. The Board thanked Mr. Heaney and Mr. Carroll for coming in and explaining the Sanitary Land Fill Program so completely. The letter from Mr. McQuillan stating that he would agree to submitting a request to the appropriation committee and the Board of Selectmen for an additional $500.00 per year increase for the Lexington Visiting Nurse Association was read by the Board. The letter to Mrs. George Morey, Chairman Board of Select- men, stating that the Health Department would like to request an additional $500.00 to be placed in the Lexington Visiting Nurse Account to cover the increase in visits made on behalf of the Health Department was read and approved by the Board. The letter from Harold Stevens, Town Council, stating that the bill of equity brought by the Minute Man Highland Associa- tion against Walnut Farm Trust had been dismissed without pre- judice by agreement of the parties involved was read by the Board. Attached to this letter was a photostat copy of a letter written and signed by William G. Potter and William L. Potter stating that it was their intention to terminate the operation of the piggery on or before April 30, 1961. This letter also stated that unless the case against William G. Potter by John J. Silvestro was not dismissed on or before 1 1 467 February 3, 1761 by instruments duly filed with the court then the intentions previously expressed in this letter would not be con- sidered binding. The Board read this letter and placed it on file. The letter to the Honorable Elizabeth A. Stanton, Committee LEGISLA on Public Health stating that the Board of Health had reviewed TUBE BILL House Bill 62 entitled "An Act Providing for Reorganization of ON TB Tuberculosis Care, Treatment and Control in the Commonwealth" introduced by the Department of Public Health for consideration by this years General Court and would like to go on record as be- ing in favor of this bill was approved by the Board. Mr. Lurvey explained that Mrs. Morey, Chairman of Board of Selectmen, had called him and wanted to know what the Health Department was doing about this bill before the General Court. Mr. Lurvey said he thought this letter to Senator Stanton would take care of the matter. The board agreed with Mr. Lurvey. The letter from Mr. Lucas of Whitman & Howard on Lot 2 LOT "2" Rolfe Road was read by the Board. Mr. Lurvey explained that ROLFE ROAD Upon inspection: of .the installation of the sanitarysystemthe rise in the water level caused him to be concerned and he had Mr. Lucas come out and check this system. Mr. Lucas stated in his report that by raising the plumbing and septic tank sufficently the inverts of the leaching pipes will be about 20 to 24 inches above the high water table. This would make the leaching lines about 15 inches below the first floor grade. This does not meet the Lexington requirements for elevation of leaehing lines but would be acceptable to take care if a downstairs lavatory. This set-up could be built on the present location but for the main sanitary system it will be necessary to go to the rear of the house where the ground is higher in order to get the required elevations. Mr. Lurvey explained that Mr. Champion, the owner, had bee in to see him and he was going to have Mr. Lucas and Mr. Champion's engineer meet and discuss this system before any further work was done. The letter to Levi G. Burnell, Chairman ing that the request for approval of "Minute tion 4" could not be approved at the present port of our consulting engineer was approved copy of the report from Whitman & Howard was letter. Planning Board, stat - Man Highlands, Sec- MINUTE time due to the re- MAN HIGH - by the Board. A LANDS enclosed with this SECTION 4 Mr. Lurvey asked if an extension to April 1, 1961 could 2 STRATHAM be granted for the order to Mr. Francis Judd Cooke, 2 Stra- ROAD them Road to dispose of the compost pile now in the rear yard of his dwelling at 2 Stratham Road. Mr. Lurvey explained that due to the heavy snow and weather it would be impossible to clean this compost pile up by the first of Marsh. Permission was granted by the Board for the extension of the original order date. The application of Mark D. Lurvey for Slaughtering Inspec- APPOINT - tor was signed by the Board. MENT The certificate of approval for Fairlawn Nursing Home, Inc., NURSING 265 Lowell Street was signed by the Board. HOME