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THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2023 Page 19 NOISE | FROM Pages 1,18 ments.” Board of Health Member Joia Cicolini told DiCecco that the existing plant wouldn’t be permitted today under existing environmental laws. Public health wasn’t adversely aff ected by the incident, according to DiCecco. “I can say confi dently, the public wasn’t harmed,” DiCecco said. But Saugus Board of Health Director John R. Fralick III disagreed with DiCecco’s claim. He cited numerous calls received by Saugus public safety dispatchers. “I consider panic to be a public health issue,” Fralick said. “What I saw here tonight was induced by that situation,” he said. Saugus Selectman Jeffrey Cicolini said he received calls from neighbors asking whether they should evacuate the area. “People were literally freaking out. It was a scary situation for a while,” Cicolini said. Saugus Selectman Michael Serino testifi ed that the incident frightened him. “I tell you; I was a nervous wreck. I didn’t know what to do,” he said. “It’s not just a noise issue. The root of the problem is that it’s the oldest plant in the nation. It needs to be torn down and replaced,” Serino said. Revere residents riled by the noise State Rep. Jessica Ann Giannino (D-Revere) – whose 16th Suffolk District includes Precincts 3 and 10 in Saugus, told the Board of Health Tuesday night that she “was horrifi ed to know that 3.2 miles away in my home, I could hear it.” “I had families calling me… ’my kids are scared.’ If 3.2 miles away I can hear it, it’s a problem. That’s why we’re here tonight – it’s a problem – to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” she said. The legislator was one of several Revere residents who testifi ed before the Board of Health about the loud noise. Giannino also appeared Wednesday to testify before the Legislature’s Joint Committee on the Environment and Natural Resources, regarding three bills introduced by her and state Rep. Jeff Turco (DWinthrop). One of the bills (House Bill 818) relates to the closure of the WIN Waste ash landfi ll in Saugus. House Bill 817 addresses the expansion of existing landfi lls, monofi lls or ash landfi lls located in or adjacent to areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC). House Bill 816 would allow communities within a half mile of a facility to adopt rules and regulations “to protect the public health from unnecessary or excessive noise; frequent and unwarranted smoke; and obnoxious odors.” Acting Revere mayor calls for plant shutdown Acting Revere Mayor Patrick M. Keefe Jr. issued a statement condemning the noise incident at the WIN plant. “The events of last night are just the latest example of the disrespect and utter disregard for people of the leaders by WIN Waste Management,” Keefe said. “The Win Waste Facility at 200 Salem Turnpike is unsafe, and its lack of emergency operational procedures is unacceptable. The Peter DiCecco, WIN Waste Innovations Senior Vice President of Operations, apologized for the inconvenience and unrest that Monday night’s plant malfunction caused for residents who heard the loud noise from WIN’s trash-to energy plant. (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler) “After the horrific noise occurrence on Monday night, the hearing on H816 is extremely timely,” Saugus Board of Selectmen Vice Chair Debra Panetta said of the legislation she gave testimony on Wednesday. “We need to protect our residents, and I believe this house bill will give our Board of Health more authority to do just that,” Panetta said. Panetta also gave oral testimony on House Bills 817 and 818. She said she strongly supports House Bill 817 because “no expansion should be allowed of existing landfi lls, monofi lls, or ash landfi lls in or next to an ACEC.” “This landfi ll should be capped once it reaches its 50-foot capacity,” Panetta said of House Bill 818. “The landfi ll was supposed to be closed in 1996, but it has received multiple extensions. Former Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner, Martin Suuberg, stated in a letter dated November 16, 2021, the ash is coming to the end of its legally allowed existence. The MassDEP came to Saugus and stated that this facility fails to meet the necessary site suitability criteria to allow expansion within an ACEC.” “The passing of these three House bills are in the best interest of our Town and the surrounding communities,” Panetta said. “The health and well-being of our Saugus residents (and neighbors) has always been my top priority.” The Board of Health listened as WIN Waste Innovation’s Peter DiCecco explained the events that led up to and followed the loud noise incident – sounding like a plane crash – at WIN’s trash-to-energy plant on Monday night. (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler) Residents of Revere should never have to endure up to 30 minutes of continuous noise at levels loud enough to reverberate across four districts of our city - frightening family pets and causing harm to those already anxious, with no accountability from the company responsible,” Keefe said. “The WIN Waste site is the country’s oldest incinerator and must be closed immediately. Plants just like this one have been shut down all over the country, and Massachusetts has forbidden anything like it to be built again. Win Waste gobbled up dozens of local waste companies, and the leadership continues to make billions through record profits while the people they are neighbors to live in fear of the next issue at their aging facility,” he said. “WIN Waste continues to prove that we cannot have confi dence in its operations, and it must be held accountable for its continued disregard for our resident’s qualiVOTING | FROM Page 1 place at City Hall in the City Council Chambers on the following dates: Saturday, Oct. 21 – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 22 – 10 a.m. to ty of life or safety. Today, I reaffi rm my commitment to support House bills 816, 817, and 818 and have this facility shut down for the betterment of our community and our environment. Concerns about air quality In addition to the noise issue and its impact on residents in Saugus and Revere, several speakers at the public hearing expressed concerns about air quality being impacted by the steam. “I think we need to have monitors installed throughout our community – not just in Precinct 10 – and have that information available,” Saugus Selectman Jeff rey Cicolini said. Jackie Mercurio called attention to PurpleAir monitors, which she said showed air quality readings at astronomical levels overlapping the time of the noise complaints. “Last night, they skyrocketed to almost a thousand,” Mercurio said. “Over 100 is dangerous for a lot of our population,” she said. Monday, Oct. 23 – 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24 – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25 – 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26 – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28 – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mercurio suggested that the town acquire “a more robust monitoring system” so there would be no doubts about the impact of the plant on air quality. Precinct 10 Town Meeting Member Peter Manoogian also urged more thorough study of the air quality around the plant. “What is coming out of that steam? What are they adding? I don’t know it’s harmless,” Manoogian told the Board of Health. “I want some third-party evidence that steam coming out of the plant is not harmful,” he said. Based on the PurpleAir monitor results, Selectman Panetta concluded, “It looks like the emissions [readings] went through the roof.” Precinct 10 Town Meeting Member Peter Delios said he shares local offi cials’ concerns about the potential impact of the steam coming out of the WIN Waste plant. “It would be advisable if we see the air quality reports of that night,” he said. Sunday, Oct. 29 – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 30 – 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31 – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 1 – 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 2 – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Police Chief Michael Ricciardelli told the Board of Health that public safety dispatchers received more than 400 complaints on the emergency 911 and business telephone lines about the noise on Monday night. (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler)

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