Ye old landfill (capped and lined)Last year as part of their PR campaign to dump Amherst Town Meeting article #24, which would allow the town manger free rein to negotiate a deal with BlueWave Capital for electricity generated by the proposed joint public/private solar farm, NIMBYs brought up the issue of an environmental catastrophe from run off oozing from ye old landfill.
Town officials used multiple credible sources to counter their alarmist allegations and Town Meeting went on to overwhelmingly approve article #24. Not long after, those same NIMBYs filed a lawsuit against the town using everyone's favorite "just-say-no" attorney (unless it's for a library in his hometown of Shutesbury) Michael Pill.
The state legislature, however, will soon enact a bill to make his expensive lawsuit moot by releasing any municipality who accepted Department of Environmental Protection money for capping a landfill from the provision stating it could only then be used for passive recreation.
Late this afternoon the town manager--via our official town website--issued a "Statement REGARDING SAFETY OF AMHERST'S MUNICIPAL DRINKING WATER" in response to "photographs of a wetland in the vicinity of Hop Brook circulated via email."
The 13 photos were anonymously uploaded by someone using the handle "ForcleanAmherst" on a free photo sharing website they only joined on Feburary 20. The post is far from popular as most of the pictures have around 50 views. Although those numbers are sure to go up after the town manager fired off his "newsflash" to all Amherst subscribers.
The nonexistent wolf has been slayed, again.
Red stuff explained
Really, so what is the source of the bright orange run off and what is in it? In the end it will require the landfill to be recapped and that's going to be part of an even bigger story when the solar farm is looking for compensation for having to go off-line while that work is being done.
ReplyDeleteSigned,
The Crystal Bsll
Natural occurring iron ore and iron bacteria.
ReplyDeleteThe chances of the old landfill being recapped are right up there with Ron Paul carrying Amherst next November.
The same "orange-wonders" can be found in late winter wetlands all around the Valley. I happened upon it by chance years ago while biking through Hatfield and Whately, e.g., and more recently looked at the Amherst variety with Bob Pariseau, when were both working for the Town and some residents of The Hollow were alarmed and called me. It may be a rare planetary or political conjunction when LK and YF agree, but in this case we do - on both the issue of "orange-wonders" and on the suitability of the solar project for the old landfill!
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The landfill doesn't need to recapped but a trench needs to be dug along the perimeter that can be filled with clay.
ReplyDelete2 things: Amherst has a long manufacturing past so there is a lot in the ground we don't know about. And has the town manager been meeting with the neighbors opposing the solar panels like he promised? Or is this just another thing to say and not do?
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