Selectmen news: mercury advisory, reservoir update

State health officials have alerted 200 Massachusetts communities — including Canton — of a public advisory not to eat fish caught by local fishermen because of elevated organic mercury levels.

In Canton, the four principal locations impacted by the advisory are Reservoir Pond, the Neponset River, which stretches from Walpole to Boston, the Ponkapoag River, and the Canton River.

John Ciccotelli, the town’s director of public health, told selectmen Tuesday night that the advisory will remain in effect until further notice.

Of particular concern to state health officials are pregnant women and children 12 and under. Fish that have been found to have elevated mercury levels include largemouth bass, white perch, the American eel, and chain pickerel.

Ciccotelli said the cause of the problem is unclear, noting that it could be a combination of factors, both natural and man-made.

In other news Tuesday night, selectmen reiterated their position regarding Reservoir Pond, namely that they will not accept the donation of the property unless its current owner, the Napleton Company, makes good on its promise to repair the dam.

According to Selectman Sal Salvatori, Napleton must submit engineering plans that are acceptable to town engineers as well as the state Office of Dam Safety, which also needs to approve the repairs. In addition, Napleton agreed to pay for the cost of the repairs and to restore the water elevation from 142.5 feet to 146.88 feet.

Salvatori said Napleton has submitted two sets of plans, neither of which has met town or state standards. Salvatori said the company put the project out to bid and found that it was several hundred thousand dollars above initial estimates of $350,000 to $400,000. After these bids were received in August, Napleton informed selectmen of its plans to scale back the project and not to include Pequot Brook. Selectmen have since argued successfully that this should be included in the project.

Salvatori outlined all of the steps taken by town officials since last April’s town meeting, including steps taken by the Conservation Commission, which expedited the review process and issued an order of conditions. Selectmen also said the town has spent nearly $50,000 on engineering and water testing fees.

Selectman Avril Elkort questioned why Napleton was holding up the process when the company would be in line for a large tax write-off since the reservoir has been assessed at $8 million to $16 million.

Selectman Bob Burr and Chairman John Connolly told members of the Reservoir Pond Preservation Association that the board would not accept shortcuts and would stay the course until the project is done correctly.

In other news:

* Harbar Corp., currently headquartered at 320 Turnpike Street, announced plans to move to the former Tweeter headquarters at 10 Pequot Way. Harbar, which makes tortilla wraps, plans to add an additional 30 jobs. The move should be completed in the next six months.

* Selectmen held a moment of silence in memory of Barbara Smith, who worked for the town for 28 years, including 18 for the Finance Department and 10 for the Police Department. The board also remembered Fred MacDonald, who worked for 39 years at Canton High School as a social studies teacher and an assistant track coach and track official. He was also a former state representative from 1972-1974.

* Selectmen committed limited financial support (up to $1,500) for a Canton Community and Business Guide, which would be the town’s first brochure to attract new residents and business.

* Selectmen will next meet on Tuesday, October 25, at 7 p.m.

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Posted by Mike Berger on Oct 19 2011. Filed under News, Schools. Both comments and pings are currently closed.