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THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2021 Page 13 Softening the Sound Ongoing acoustics study and installation of new silencer system should eliminate noise problems at plant, Wheelabrator offi cials say By Mark E. Vogler I t will sound like the difference between a power mower and a vacuum cleaner. That’s what officials at Wheelabrator Technologies, Inc. say the installation of a new, upgraded silencer system will mean for residents from Revere, Saugus and Lynn who have been irked over the past 18 months by the noise emanating from the trash-to-energy plant on Route 107 in Saugus. In technical terms, they say, a new system that is expected to be installed this spring at the cost of about $750,000 will reduce the noise level from 96 decibels to 70 decibels – roughly the equivalent of a household vacuum cleaner. “I think all of the neighbors should be delighted,” Revere City Council President Anthony Zambuto said in an interview this week. “If it lowers the sound level down to the equivalent of a vacuum cleaner, then the citizens of Revere in the Point of Pines will never hear the noise again. I think this is a winwin-win for everybody, and it shows that Wheelabrator is trying to be a good neighbor,” he said. “So, personally, I’m thrilled and excited about it. And I think all of the neighbors should be, too. I think it’s a positive thing that I think will make all of the neighbors feel a lot better.” Wheelabrator learned of the less noisy alternative as a result of an ongoing consultant’s engineering study being performed as a condition of a state Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) consent order in response to numerous citizen noise complaints and enforcement action initiated by the Saugus Board of Health. Representatives of Wood, a Chelmsford-based engineering company, briefed the Board of Health at last week’s meeting on an acoustics study they are conducting for Wheelabrator as part of a solution to the noise problems which have disturbed residents who live within earshot of the plant. The study will help guide the company in determining what is loud, long lasting, unpleasant, distracting and irritating noise. “In response to community concerns and in conjunction with the ongoing work of the Board of Health sub-committee, we have decided to voluntarily move forward with this project, which we anticipate will be completed in the spring,” Wheelabrator’s Vice President of Environmental, Health and Safety, James Connolly, said. “We appreciate the opportunity for a constructive dialogue and are committed to working with the town to strengthen our partnership moving forward,” he said. The noise has become a problem for several years, overlapping the times that the turbine which generates electricity is taken out of service. If the turbine is unavailable, high-pressure steam is released into the atmosphere. The drag valve, equipment which functions much as a car muffl er, is designed to reduce the noise. But the current silencer system in use at the Wheelabrator plant produces a nominal 96-decibel sound level. The system that is scheduled to be installed will produce a nominal 70-decibel sound level, according to company offi cials. “I think Wheelabrator gets a lot of blame for noise that really isn’t their noise,” Zambuto said. “You get the sound from the GE plant in Lynn, the traffi c from the Lynnway and the planes that fl y overhead. Let’s face it. The plant is a target because people don’t like it. So, I’d say the silencer that’s going to be installed and the study are real positive things.” LIFECARE | FROM Page 4 Revere Board of Health provides update on COVID-19 vaccinations O n January 11 the Board of Health provided an update on ongoing COVID-19 vaccination eff orts in Revere. The Board of Health continues to work closely with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) to coordinate vaccine distribution according to the three-phased approach directed by the Baker-Polito Administration. The Board of Health expects to administer vaccines in Revere in accordance with each of the three phases, starting with a clinic for fi rst responders this week. Residents can visit revere. org/vaccine-signup to be notifi ed when distribution begins for the phase they are eligible for. “We have been working with the State for several weeks to ensure we are prepared to administer vaccines to Revere residents as soon as they are available. We do want to remind residents that all vaccinations must be administered within the state’s phasing guidelines and that no exceptions can be made,” said Revere’s Department of Public Health Director, Lauren Buck. “A vaccine will only be eff ective if people take it, and we have also begun the work of public education, sharing the facts about the safety and effi - cacy of the vaccines and building trust within the community.” Phase One distribution (through February 2021) • First responders: The Cities of Chelsea, Revere and Winthrop, in partnership with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, will hold a three-day COVID-19 vaccination clinic for first responders to be held on Friday, January 15, Saturday, January 16 and Wednesday, January 20. The clinic will be open to all sworn offi cers of the three cities’ police and fi re departments, EMS services and 911 dispatchers. First responders will be assigned appointments through an online scheduling platform based on their availability. • Long-term care facilities: All of Revere’s long-term care facilities are participating in the federal government’s vaccination program in collaboration with CVS Health and Walgreens. All facilities have either begun the vaccination process or will begin the process this month. • Health care workers: Health care workers in Revere are being vaccinated directly through their employers. Phase Two distribution The Commonwealth has scheduled the second phase of vaccine distribution for February through April; Phase Two will include: • Individuals that have two or more comorbidities or are over the age of 75 • Early education and K-12 workers, transit, grocery, utility, food and agriculture, sanitation, public works and public health workers • Adults 65+ • Individuals with one comorbidity The Revere Board of Health will remain ready to administer vaccines to individuals within this category in collaboration with DPH. Phase Three distribution The third phase of vaccine distribution is scheduled by the state to begin in April of 2021 and will make the vaccine available to the general public. The Revere Board of Health will remain ready to administer vaccines to residents in collaboration with DPH. Revere resident named to Dean’s List at University of New England T he University of New England recently announced that Baylee Flemming of Revere was named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2020 semester. Dean’s List students have attained a grade point average of 3.3 or better out of a possible 4.0 at the end of the semester.

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