Williston
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PAGES 10-13
MAY 16, 2024
WILLISTON’S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1985
WWW.WILLISTONOBSERVER.COM
Church trustees vote to quash Verizon plan Recommendation heads to selectboard BY JASON STARR Observer staff
Members of the Old Brick Church Trustees meet Monday in the church basement and discuss their opposition to a proposal from Verizon to install cell antennas in the church steeple. OBSERVER PHOTO BY JASON STARR
Old Brick Church Trustees have unanimously recommended against allowing Verizon to install cell service antennas in the historic Williston Village landmark. The majority of public feedback has been negative toward the idea, despite Verizon’s promise that the project would improve the company’s nearly nonexistent cell reception in the Village. Trustee chair John Butterfield plans to present the recommendation to the selectboard this summer. The selectboard previously signaled an openness to the idea, which would have brought in about $25,000 in annual lease revenue to the town. “Our recommendation to the selectboard
is that Verizon choose another location,” Butterfield said Monday during a meeting of the trustees. A flurry of public comments came into the town offices after Verizon representatives shared their plans for the project during a trustees meeting in January. Opponents presented research about negative health effects of cellular infrastructure and noted the church’s proximity to Williston Central School. “From my estimation, these proposed antennas would be fewer than 500 feet from the front of the school,” Sarah Showalter, a Williston parent and member of the Champlain Valley School Board, wrote to town leaders in February. She pointed to research suggesting cell towers be at least three times that far from population centers. see VERIZON page 24
Commerce St. groundwater cleanup to commence
State receives $15 million EPA grant for Superfund site BY JASON STARR Observer staff
The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation has received $15 million in funding through the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021 to complete cleanup of contaminated groundwater at a former industrial manufacturing site on Commerce Street in Williston. The contamination resulted from the 20th century operations of Mitec Systems Corporation, which manufactured electronic and microwave components on a 1-acre
property behind the current New England Chimney Supply headquarters. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Mitec used trichloroethylene to wash components, and sent the rinsewater and sludge into an unlined lagoon on the property. The discharge was found to contain heavy metals such as chromium, cadmium, cyanide and nickel as well as various industrial solvents. The Department of Environmental Conservation completed a soil remediation project on the site in 2018. Groundwater contamination is estimated to have spread over 70 acres, affecting residential and commercial areas on Kirby Lane, South Brownell Road and Commerce Street. The site falls under
the EPA’s Superfund program designated for abandoned hazardous waste site cleanup. The groundwater project involves the installation of an underground cleansing barrier for the
“Superfund cleanups can be a long road for communities.” David Cash Environmental Protection Agency
contaminated groundwater to pass through. Construction is expected to start this month with the drill-
ing of a sample well. The majority of construction is planned for July through October. The contaminated water sits between 26-40 feet below the surface, according the EPA. The goal of the remediation is to restore the groundwater to state drinking water standards. Residents nearby have been advised not to drill any groundwater wells until the cleanup is complete. The area is served by municipal water. “Superfund cleanups can be a long road for communities,” said EPA New England Regional Administrator David Cash. “Fortunately, the influx of funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is propelling these cleanups forward … When partners can come together and do necessary work,
local communities are the ones who reap the benefits.” Using monitoring wells, the groundwater will be tested continually in the coming years to verify the system’s performance. “Investments like these not only clean up contaminated sites but also protect the health and well being of our communities,” Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Jason Batchelder said. “I commend the collaborative efforts between our federal and state partners for their commitment to environmental stewardship for the betterment of Vermonters.” More information about the project can be found at www.epa. gov/superfund/commercestreet.
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