Page 4 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 2021 The latest Coronavirus Count: 2,557 cases in Saugus (Editor’s Note: Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree's Office issued the following info in a press release shortly before deadline yesterday. The confirmed COVID-19 cases jumped by 104 just two days after the town’s report earlier in the week.) he Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) has notified the Town of Saugus of 2577 confirmed cases of COVID-19. According to the Saugus Health Department this includes 51 deaths in Saugus. Our hearts and prayers go out to those families affected by this health pandemic. Massachusetts health officials have announced as of January 6, 2021, 99 more people have died in the Commonwealth after contracting COVID-19, bringing the state total to 12,563. In addition, there were 6,419 newly reported cases. So far, 368,052 cases in total have been confirmed while 11,308,785 total tests for the virus have been T administered. The Town of Saugus has partnered with the Commonwealth, Fallon Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and the Square One Mall as a collaborative effort to work to downgrade the Town’s designated “High Risk” red COVID-19 status by establishing and extending the following COVID-19 testing sites in Saugus: Fallon EMS at the Square One Mall (Far Side Parking Lot on Essex Street), located at 1201 Broadway with entry off of Essex Street, will offer free mobile drive-up testing in for Saugus residents in their cars Monday through Saturday from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. No appointment is needed. Residents drive-up and register using a tablet when they arrive. Saugus Police will be assisting with traffic. The testing site will be staffed by 10-12 individuals to handle registrations. All samples go directly to the Broad Institute in Cambridge for immediate testing with a 24-36 hour turnaround time. Notification of results will be made for negative results via emails while phone calls will be made for positive COVID-19 results. These sites do close when it rains because of risk of test contamination. This site has recently been extended until January 15. This information will be on the Town’s website and on the state’s website: https:// www.mass.gov/info-details/ stop-the-spread?rgja#saugusThe Board of Health and the Saugus Health Department will continue to partner with the state and are workSounding out Wheelabrator Consultants for trash-to-energy company brief Board of Health on how they will help minimize noise generated at the Route 107 plant By Mark E. Vogler T he loud noise generated at Wheelabrator Technologies, Inc.’s trash-to-energy plant in East Saugus has been a source of numerous complaints by Saugus and Revere residents in recent years – including on several occasions last month. What is typical background noise? What is loud, long-lasting, unpleasant, distracting and irritating noise? Representatives of Wood, a Chelmsford-based engineerAUTOTECH 1989 SINCE CA$H FOR YOUR CAR! DRIVE IT - PUSH IT - TOW IT! Cold Hard Cash For Your Car, Truck or SUV! 2013 KIA SORRENTO 4X4 Remote Start, Third Row Seating, Premium Sound System, One Owner, Only 73K Miles, One Owner, Warranty! TRADES WELCOME $10,900 Easy Financing Available! 2013 HYUNDAI SANTA FE Sport Package, 4X4, Leather Interior, Loaded, One Owner, 105K Miles, Excellent Condition, Warranty! TRADES WELCOME $10,900 781-321-8841 1236 EasternAve • Malden EddiesAutotech.com We Pay Cash For Your Vehicle! ing company, briefed the Board of Health at Monday’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 goal is to establish what is typical background noise,” Andy Roland said to Board of Health members at the outset of his PowerPoint presentation on Wood’s “Community Sound Level Measurement Program.” In a briefing that involved some highly technical aspects of sound analysis, Roland included topics like how to quantify sound, the noise rules and regulations Wheelabrator must follow, techniques used in assessing sounds, the conditions and sources of sound being evaluated and the state Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) consent order on the noise complaints signed last summer. Monitoring other area noise generators Roland noted that the ongoing study involves monitoring of several sites surrounding the Wheelabrator plant which generate loud noise. These include GE Aviation in Lynn, noise generated by the Logan Airport corridor, Route 107 traffic and the MBTA’s Newburyport/ Rockport rail line. Roland said the collection of various data from monitoring sound at seving on a planned response to COVID-19. They are analyzing the data from the past couple of weeks and developing specific strategies to combat the spread through additional enforcement and intervention measures. We need to do whatever is necessary to keep ourselves, family, neighbors, and communities safe. Continue to wear your masks, wash hands, avoid gatherings, and continue to follow the CDC and MDPH guidelines. The Saugus Health Department strongly believes that additional unrecognized cases DO exist in Saugus. Due to the fact that they are undetected, some of these infected individuals may not be properly isolated or quarantined, which is why Governor Baker’s directive is to wear a cloth face cover over your face when around others, practice social distancing, avoid gatheral locations surrounding the plant is being used to put the noise from the Wheelabrator plant into context. “I think it’s important to point out that Wheelabrator did agree to step up,” Wood’s Paul Richard stressed, on the engineering program that was approved by MassDEP officials. Board of Health Vice Chair Shawn Ayube expressed an interest in “the big picture/longterm” aspects of the study. “Part of the value of doing this – if there is an event at the plant and we’re getting complaints, then we can point to something and say ‘Well, it looks like the noise level is actually exceeding at this point,’” Ayube said. “How is that accomplished? How does that add value to those future problems?” he asked. Roland responded, “It’s going to be a challenge unless an event is planned or known prior to, or is a recurring, continuous thing.” “A steam vent that is given 24 hours’ notice is going to be near impossible to capture, realistically,” he said. “But a situation like what you guys were experiencing last year with the on-again, offagain dry vent sounds – and issues where you could reasonably target a day – then you could get the data and compare it to the background,” he said. Saugus Board of Health Director John Fralick praised Roland’s PowerPoint presentation as “fantastic” and requested that Wood representatives proerings, and to follow the CDC and MDPH guidance. Again, this is a reminder that the CDC and MDPH have provided guidance to everyone regarding preventing the spread of the COVID-19 virus in the Commonwealth. Please follow CDC and MDPH guidance to prevent COVID-19 illness by: • Cleaning your hands often for at least 20 seconds • Avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth • Staying at least six feet between yourself and others • Covering your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others Please stay healthy and please call us with any needs. We are here for you. For more information, contact the Saugus Health Department at 781-231-4117 and/or the Town Manager’s office at 781231-4111. vide a similar briefing when the Board of Health’s Wheelabrator Subcommittee meets again. He suggested that Wood representatives also have a question and answer session at that upcoming meeting. “I think it’s going to be important moving forward,” Fralick said. Heffernan requests an end to 3:15 a.m. noise Earlier in the meeting, Wheelabrator’s Peter DiCecco briefed board members and responded to their concerns about four noise complaints stemming from incidents at the plant last month. DiCecco noted that the noise on Dec. 11, Dec. 16 and Dec. 23 involved the return of a boiler to service. Board of Health Chair William Heffernan questioned DiCecco about a complaint emailed by a Revere resident at 3:15 a.m. on Dec. 19. He wanted to know what the reason was for the noise complaint. “We had a boiler come off-line…We needed to vent the steam through the turbine,” DiCecco explained. Heffernan asked what could be done to avoid similar complaints in the future. “Possibly vent during the day,” DiCecco answered. Heffernan apparently preferred that option. “We all know the pain Lynn, Saugus and Revere went through last year,” Heffernan said. “I want to avoid any of these events at 3:15 in the morning. If there is anything you can do to keep these events during the day...The last thing I want to see is emails from people – ‘they woke me up again,’” he said.
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