GREENFIELD — Board of Health Chair Nancee Bershof addressed the results of an audit conducted by the state Department of Environmental Protection on the environmental cleanup at the former Lunt Silversmiths property, responding also to allegations from the community that the Board of Health “failed to protect the public health of the Lunt neighborhood.”
“I have spent a great deal of time considering this statement,” Bershof said at a meeting on Wednesday. “I agree that we did not have accurate information, meaning we did not have all the information I would like to have had. For that, I accept full responsibility. As the chair of the Board of Health, I’m the one charged with getting all of the relevant material to my board for review. I apologize to my board, to the Lunt neighborhood and to the citizens of Greenfield for my error.”
The property on Federal Street — which the Springfield-based 401 Liberty St. LLC subleases to the Behavioral Health Network and Clinical & Support Options — has been the subject of controversy among residents and city officials who have expressed concern about the status of the environmental cleanup. The issue was raised late last year by Precinct 3 Councilor Virginia “Ginny” DeSorgher when the property was brought before City Council to declare it as surplus and authorize the mayor’s sale. In particular, there is concern for contamination levels of trichloroethylene (TCE).
In the audit report, the DEP found that the Phase II Comprehensive Site Assessment — completed in April 2020 — was incomplete, and did not adequately assess contaminant sources and the extent of contamination at the 298 Federal St. property. The audit began in mid-April.
The city has 60 days from receipt of the Notice of Noncompliance to submit a conceptual Phase II scope of work for the DEP to review and approve. The city must also submit a Post-Audit Completion Statement within those 60 days. Mayor Roxann Wedegartner said she will work with Planning and Development Director Eric Twarog to ensure those deadlines are met.
“For the Jan. 26, 2022 Board of Health meeting, I did fully review the materials we had from the Health Department,” said Bershof, recalling the meeting during which the board indicated it was “satisfied” with the cleanup status. “And I did gather supporting information from the state DEP and Environmental Protection Agency. I was unable to see what I was missing — the glaring absence of the DEP’s full response to OTO’s (O’Reilly, Talbot & Okun Associates) Phase 2 (Comprehensive Site Assessment) of April 2020. Without that, it was impossible to clearly understand where things stood.”
She continued by saying she was grateful for the initiation of the Public Involvement Process (PIP), which ultimately led to the audit.
“Now it is crystal clear what needs to be done,” Bershof said.
She suggested the possibility of inviting someone from the DEP to attend a Board of Health meeting.
“I like the idea of having someone from the state come and give us a little bit more information,” agreed member Alyssa Valbona. “I’m sure lot of folks are involved in the next steps. … I’m grateful for this audit. I feel like it did what it’s supposed to do, and I’d love more explanation from the DEP.”
Resident Glen Ayers, a former health agent with the Franklin Regional Council of Governments, commended Bershof for her public apology.
“I understand how difficult that was,” he said. “From experience, from being a chair of a Board of Health many years ago, it’s not an easy thing to do to talk to the public and admit that you may have erred. I appreciate that very much.”
Ayers continued to argue in support of hiring a new licensed site professional (LSP), calling the current arrangement with OTO a conflict of interest.
“401 Liberty St. is the tenant and the city is the landlord,” he said. “We do not agree what needs to be done at Lunt. We have a situation where the LSP works for the tenant and pretends to submit information on behalf of the city, and that is completely illegitimate. What the city needs, and the audit clearly points out, is … an independent LSP to review the information.”
He compared the situation to a lawyer representing both the tenant and landlord in court.
Wedegartner echoed the concerns of Bershof and thanked the efforts of the PIP petitioners.
“I’m very happy now to have the audit,” she said. “I think it does provide the information that was missing that we needed, and have needed, basically since 2012.”
Wedegartner reiterated that she doesn’t intend to hire a new licensed site professional.
“I don’t think it’s wise or prudent to change that course in the middle of the stream,” she said. “That, in and of itself, would take a long time. Any new person would have to review the same material from start to finish, and still comply with the order.”
Precinct 4 City Councilor John Bottomley acknowledged Wedegartner’s thanks to everyone who has been following the cleanup situation, but noted wasn’t enough.
“We don’t want your thanks,” he said. “We want the property cleaned up. … That’s what I care about, and I really hope you help us get there.”
Reporter Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne