Category Archives: Medfield State Hospital

Rep. Winslow’s office had a ready rely (a copy of the email appears below).  They probably heard from all of you before I got to them today, and I got what had been sent to all of you.

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5/21/2012 11:57AM
RE: Sen. Timilty budget amendments with respect to Medfield State Hospital
Winslow, Daniel B.
MSH – Medfield State Hospital Reuse
“Hong, Nina (HOU)”
“Osler L. Peterson”

Dear Pete –
Thank you for your email.  I discussed your concerns with Rep. Winslow who supports Sen. Timilty’s budget amendments.  Rep. Winslow remains supportive of the residents’ efforts to assure a safe and clean environment, and to that end, stands ready to assist as needed.

Please feel free to contact our office if we can help in any way.

Best,
Nina
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Here is Senate President Murray’s reply –

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Dear Friends:

Thank you for your email. As your representative in the Massachusetts Senate, I encourage you to contact me on issues that are of importance to you and the communities of the Plymouth and Barnstable Senate District.

I am pleased to hear your thoughts on so many issues and challenges facing the Commonwealth and, in particular, the people of the South Shore and Cape Cod. Due to the large volume of emails received every day, I may have a staff member contact you regarding your inquiry.

In order for me or my staff to respond to your concern, please be sure to include your name, address and telephone number. Should you need my immediate assistance, please do not hesitate to contact my Boston office at 617.722.1500.

Again, thank you for taking the time to contact me. I look forward to hearing from you again soon.

Sincerely yours,

THERESE MURRAY

President of the Senate

Andrea Balsamo  was advised this morning by Sen. Timilty’s chief of staff that emails sukpporting Sen. Timilty’s budget amendments to properly clean up the Medfield State Hospital site should not go to staff –

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This was my email in support of Sen. Timillty’s amendments –

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5/21/2012 11:26AM
Sen. Timilty budget amendments with respect to Medfield State Hospital
MSH – Medfield State Hospital Reuse
Therese Murray
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Dear President Murray,

I am writing to express my support for Sen. Timilty budget amendments that provide monies for the proper clean up of the site of the former Medfield State Hospital.  I am a 12 year member of the town’s Board of Selectmen, and Sen. Timilty’s amendments will effect the Town of Medfield’s official position that favors a complete clean up that results in no use restrictions and/or limitations on the site after the clean up.

We are told that the Massachusetts Contingency Plan may legally allow a lesser clean up, by the cap and cover method DCAM has proposed, but we do not think that is the proper result for the state to follow to clean up 100 years of dumping of toxic materials by its own DMH into the Charles River.  Our most productive town well is 3000″ from this dump site, and should we ever need to drill a new well to get more water, a well even nearer the dump site could not be allowed, if the dump remains.

Thank you for your courtesies and assistance with this matter.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Best,
Pete
Osler L. Peterson, Attorney at Law
PETERSON | Law
580 Washington Street, Newton, MA 02458
66 North St, PO Box 358, Medfield, MA 02052
T 617.969.1500
T 617.969.1501 (direct)
M 508-359-9190
F 617.663.6008
osler.peterson@verizon.net
http://mysite.verizon.net/osler.peterson/
Medfield Information at: Facebook, https://medfield02052.wordpress.com/ & http://twitter.com/Medfield

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Per email just now from John Nunnari, Sen. Timilty got the Medfield State Hospital clean up in as budget amendments –

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Two amendments filed by Sen. Timility to the Senate budget. Debate begins next Wednesday. If the town supports/opposes, I strongly suggest a letter to the Senate Presidents should be sent immediately. I’d cc the following to ensure it’s gets read promptly:

Richard Ross, Chief Policy Advisor

David Seltz, Senior Policy Advisor

Arianna Kelly, Policy Advisor

John

GOV 134

Medfield State Hospital

Mr. Timilty moved that the bill be amended, in Section 2, in item 1102-3205, by inserting at the end thereof the following:- “provided further, that not less than $5,000,000 shall be expended for the total removal of all toxic materials from the site of the former Medfield State Hospital to the extent that, upon completion of the cleanup, the land is not subject to any activity and use limitation and is suitable for unrestricted use”; and in the same item by striking the figure “16,250,000” and inserting in place thereof the the following figure:- “21,250,000”

GOV 135

Medfield State Hospital Cleanup Plan

Mr. Timilty moved that the bill be amended by adding at the end thereof the following new Section:-

SECTION X. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the division of capital asset management and maintenance shall not implement any cleanup plan for the site of the former Medfield State Hospital until the plan (i) is based on a standard of unrestricted use for the site (ii) fully complies with all state and federal environmental regulations and standards (ii) complies with the recommendations regarding flood plain restoration and management as described in the September 2011 Massachusetts Climate Change Adaptation Report (iv) is approved by a vote of the Medfield board of selectmen and (v) addresses the concerns of surrounding communities in the Charles River watershed. The department shall immediately begin a revision of its current plan to meet the requirements set forth in this section

John Nunnari, Assoc AIA

Executive Director, AIA MA

The Board of Selectmen submitted their comments to DCAM on its Phase IV clean up proposals today.  See the letter dated 5/15/12 via the following link –

https://medfield02052.blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/20120517-bos-phase-iv-comments_may172012.pdf

Senator Timilty’s 4/28/12 letter to the Governor about the Medfield State Hospital clean up is at https://medfield02052.blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/20120428-senatortimilty-ltr-to-governor.pdf

THe administration’s 5/12/12 letter responding, from DCAM Commissioner Carole Cornelison, is at https://medfield02052.blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/20120512-dcam-ltr-to-sentimiltyr.pdf

The fringe tree at the Medfield State Hospital will bloom this week.  I saw it Sunday while jogging, and there were blooms open at the very bottom.  The whole tree will be covered with fringe like flowers this week. It looks like nothing, a large bush, until it blooms, then it is absolutely spectacular for a few days.

It is in front of B-2, which is to the left at the top of the main entrance drive, up behind the Clark Building.

https://medfield02052.blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/img_20120513_162809.jpg

Ellis Allen is an arborist and was the town’s tree warden for years, if not decades.  Ellis now lives on the Cape, but still is active as an expert witness on wrongful tree cutting cases, which is where I met him.  Ellis actually appears on the cover of the arborists’ book on how to properly value trees for wrongful cutting cases. Ellis shared with me the map that he did of the trees at the Medfield State Hospital, that I have uploaded.

I added the fringe tree in front of building B-2 to his list.  The fringe tree looks like a large unremarkable bush except every other year when it blooms in spectacular fashion.  If it blooms this year, it would be in the next couple of weeks.

If you are interested in less usual trees, there is also a nice stand of larch trees along the river, on the path from the former power plant site to the hemlock covered look out over the river downstream.  The larch trees are to  the right of the path, shortly after the path that takes off to the right and heads over to the fields out back of the Dover-Sherborn High School.

https://medfield02052.blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/tree-map-by-ellis-allen2.pdf

CRWA has submitted its comments to DCAM regarding DCAM’s Phase IV clean up proposals for the C&D area.  CRWA says that removal is the best solution, and indicates frustration with DCAM for not listening to the past comments that have been submitted.  The CRWA letter can be found at –

https://medfield02052.blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/20120503-crwa-msh_phaseiv_commentletter_050212_final1.pdf

Bill Massaro has prepared a useful chart that graphically shows the dramatic difference between DCAM’s proposed removal of materials from the C&D area, versus what the town requests be removed.

Per Bill’s email –

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Attached is the next stage in the C&D Waste Overlay I passed out last night.  That prior one was intended to clarify that the DCAM drawing showing the yellow area around the “donut hole” did not represent what DCAM is planning to take out, but  just showed the flexible membrane cover over what they were leaving.

This one shows my conception of what DCAM is removing in dark plum;   what I think our residents’  “maximum extent feasible removal”  is in blue;  and areas where we need additional testing ( likely also to need to be removed) in light purple.  I also added some additional contaminants of concern  with input from Andrea.  It should pretty much agree with Town and PIP Phase II & Phase III comments submitted on 4/24/12.

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See Bill’s chart at –

https://medfield02052.blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/20120502-wjm-remediation-positions.jpg