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Most, if not all, households will, with the approach of a national election, consider what are called “kitchen table” issues. These include, of course, the cost of providing light and heat in our homes.

What have we seen since Indian Point closed? Yes, an increase in the cost of power, which compels households to somehow cope with this enlarged expense, while at the same time experiencing ever-increasing costs for food, consumer goods and services, medications, housing, commuting costs, et cetera.

The Wheelabrator has provided energy, employment, and tax revenue since 1984. I would submit that, after having moved from Mount Vernon, NY in 2011, to Peekskill, my health has certainly not been negatively affected and, in significant respects, is better now than it has ever been.

In their first 30 years of operation they converted more than 20 million tons of waste into energy. Wheelabrator has continuously achieved emission levels well below state and federal standards to protect public health. Their process reduces greenhouse gas emissions by diverting waste from landfills. The waste is burned to heat boilers, producing high pressure steam for a turbine generating 60K kilowatts of electricity per hour, sufficient to power 67,000 homes.

As per the American Lung Association the main causes of asthma are: allergies, obesity, smoking, air pollution, chronic health conditions, and a family history of asthma (factors which certainly existed prior to the opening of Wheelabrator). As per the AAFA certain substances can cause one to develop allergic asthma, including: dust mites, pet dander, mold, pollen, cockroaches, and rodents. I do not think Wheelabrator causes these risk factors in residential housing.

One also must consider how increased electricity rates affect small businesses. Greatly increased electricity rates have effectively shuttered many businesses in Germany, England, and Ireland as their power plants were shut down and power bills doubled or tripled. Increased rates kill businesses, which would ordinarily employ people, who in turn pay taxes and support their local economies.

In individual homes, in Europe, many must choose between heating and food due to skyrocketing electricity charges.

All too often, the virtue-signallers have policies which in practice will harm those who can least afford it—seniors on fixed incomes, single parents scraping by, families coping with increased costs for food, housing, consumer goods, medications, commuting costs, tuition fees — worsening the economic juggling act for ordinary families—so they may clap themselves on the back whilst the rest of us are made cold and poor by exorbitant energy costs.

 Dozens of letters, postcards and petitions have been submitted to the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs in support of the request from Wheelabrator to expand the landfill adjacent to an Area of Critical Environmental Concern.

 Signers contend that Wheelabrator is operating with the full consent and permission of the Department of Environmental Protection and the Environmental Protection Agency and will continue to do so as they seek all relevant state and federal approvals for continued operation.

Further, Wheelabrator Saugus operates under stringent federal and state environmental guidelines designed to protect public health and the environment and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by recycling metals and offsetting the need for energy from fossil fuel sources.

  Also, Wheelabrator hires locally and supports many local businesses through the purchase of goods and services, contributing an estimated $23 million in positive economic activity to the region each year including $8 million directly to Saugus.  Wheelabrator supports numerous civic and charitable organizations and local schools while contributing to enhanced quality of life and will continue to support important environmental projects in East Saugus and the surrounding areas.

Allan, Paul

Allison, Jessie  

Amero, Don                                     Maillet, Martin

Arsenault, Britney                           Malone, Barbara

Berenbroodspot, Meghan                Malone, Joseph

Bernard, Joseph                              Markovitz, Lester

                                                         Enid Markovitz

Bernard, Karen                                 Mastrocola, Stephanie

Bernard, Louise                               McCarthy, Tara

Blasingame, Kathy 

Bockus, Dorothy A.                         Milward, Beverly

Brown, William                                 Misiano, Anthony

Cannon, John                                  Misiano, Joan

Carabineres, Jimmie                        Mitchell, Jeff

Carlson, Marilyn

Carroll, Arlene                                 Moran, Patrick

Carroll, Charles                               Moretti.  James Q.

                                                         Mullen, Vrginia

Casella, Lorna                                 Murphy, F.W.

                                                        Murphy, Kathy

Cilano, Julia                                     Murphy, Michael

Cogliano, Anthony

Davis, Carolyn

Davis, Bob                                       Murphy, Valerie

Davis, Scott                                      Necco, Janice

Decareau, Arlene                            Nelson, Stephen

Decareau, Eugene 

Dever, Maureen                               Neth, Betty

DiBlasio, Marina                               Nichols, Kevin

DiGennaro, Judy

Dion, Joseph                                    O'Saro, Therea

Diotte, Shirley                                  Pizzano, Elaine

Ferreira, David                                Pizzano, Louis

Ferria, Chet                                     Pizzano, Robert

Finoccho, Lisa                                  Pizzano, Sandra

Fish, Jason                                       Prescott, Richard

Fish, Steven                                     Price, Frank

Florentino, Walter                             Rich, Shirley

Flynn, Jason                                     Rodebough, George

                                                          Saulenas, Fae

  Spelta, Judith

Francis, Ashley                                 Sund, Gary

Garabedian, Richard                        

Goguen, Albert

Gould, Donna                                   Thomas, Charles

Gould, Joseph                                  Thomas, Charles, Jr.

Grabowski, Arthur                             Thomas, Lori

Hanlon, Sarah                                   Trunfio, Paul

Herald, Carl                                       Zaniboni, Paul

Johnson, Patricia                             Zwicker, Richard

Justice, Gary      

Kaminski, Mary

Klecker, John    

 The deadline to submit letters is closed

SAUGUS, REVERE, BOSTON – Members of the Alliance for Health and Environment expressed disappointment in Wheelabrator’s adamant refusal to allow the Saugus Board of Health, Revere Board of Health, and citizens of Saugus and Revere to exercise public oversight over their proposal to dispose more than 500,000 tons of additional ash at the unlined Saugus landfill adjacent to the Rumney Marshes Area of Critical Environmental Concern. For over 40 years, dumping ash in the midst of this salt marsh has had a negative impact on people, local communities, and the Pines and Saugus Rivers.

“Citizens of Saugus and Revere should be outraged by Wheelabrator’s refusal to come before the Saugus Board of Health for a site assignment modification.  The citizens of Saugus are continually inundated with mailings, photo-ops and advertisements by Wheelabrator claiming that they are an ‘environmental company’ and ‘good neighbor.’  However, the Company’s refusal to come before the Saugus Board of Health for a determination about the impact of their proposed expansion on health, safety and the environment sends a much different message to the community,” said State Representative RoseLee Vincent.  

An Environmental Notification Form describing Wheelabrator’s proposed expansion of the ash landfill is currently being reviewed by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs’ Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) office.  The Alliance is recommending that MEPA require a comprehensive Environmental Impact Report (EIR) to evaluate the impact of the proposed expansion. The Alliance is also committed to ensuring that the Saugus Board of Health and other impacted communities have the opportunity to weigh in on the decision about whether to expand the landfill through the local site assignment process.

“The Saugus Board of Health has the power to allow, allow with conditions or prohibit this expansion through the site assignment modification process.  Wheelabrator’s refusal to come before that board underscores their desire to circumvent local review and oversight of this facility,” said Environmental Attorney for MASSPIRG and Alliance member Kirstie Pecci.

The Alliance also continues to raise concerns about the implications of rising sea levels and storm surge as it relates to further ash deposition. “Mitigation strategies are needed to protect people, local waterways and wildlife from contaminants in the event of a future breach of the existing unlined ash landfill. As rising sea levels combine with anticipated increases in both intensity and frequency of coastal storms in the future, it goes without saying that the focus here needs to shift from use and expansion to closure and protection,” said Joan LeBlanc, Executive Director of the Saugus River Watershed Council,

Former Precinct 10 Town Meeting member and current Vice Chairman of the Saugus School Committee Peter Manoogian wishes to remind the community that Wheelabrator relies on EPA regulations to make their claim that the ash is not toxic.  “We recently learned from Professor Paul Connett that EPA regulations do not require the measurement of the total content of toxics (either toxic metals or dioxins and dioxin-like compounds) within the ash. This defies scientific principles, common sense and the practices in other countries,” said Manoogian. “Existing studies indicate that the metals content of old ash is less than the metal content of new ash. It is therefore a reasonable question to ask about where the metal is going.  How much metal is now in the surrounding waters, plant, and animal life?”

Thus far, dozens of citizens have written to Environmental Secretary Matthew Beaton urging that a full Environmental Impact Report be required for Wheelabrator’s proposed expansion. “Because the comment period has been extended to July 26th, I would urge my constituents of Saugus and Revere to take a few moments to either email or write to Secretary Matthew Beaton expressing their concerns about the Wheelabrator ash landfill and urging him to require that Wheelabrator conduct a full Environmental Impact Report and come before the Saugus Board of Health for a landfill site assignment modification,” said Vincent.  “Saugus and Revere deserve the same level of protections that other Massachusetts communities receive.”

Citizens have until July 26th to submit comments by email to MEPA Analyst [email protected] or by US Mail to: 

Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs

Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA)

Attn: MEPA Office

Page Czepiga, EEA No. 15525

100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900

On behalf of Secretary Matthew Beaton, the MEPA Office has granted the Proponent’s request for an extension of the comment period for  reference project (EEA# 15525).

The extension was requested to provide time to review supplemental information that the Proponent will provide on or before Monday (6/27).  The supplemental information will be forwarded to this distribution list upon receipt. Comments on the project will be welcome in writing on or before July 5, 2016. A Certificate on the Environmental Notification Form (ENF) will be issued on July 15, 2015.

Photo from left to right: Ann Devlin from Saugus Action Volunteers for Environment, Saugus Board of Selectman Chairwoman Deb Panetta, Revere resident Elle Baker, Dr. Paul Connett, Former Saugus Selectman and Town Meeting Member Peter Manoogian, State Representative RoseLee Vincent, Revere City Councillor John Powers, Joan Leblanc from the Saugus River Watershed Council, Kirstie Pecci from MASSPIRG, and Cindy Luppi from Clean Water Action

BOSTON, SAUGUS, REVERE, LYNN - The Saugus Town Hall Auditorium was packed on Tuesday night for the Alliance for Health and Environment’s public forum featuring Dr. Paul Connett regarding Wheelabrator Saugus’ incinerator ash and its effects on public health and the environment.

“On behalf of the Alliance for Public Health and Environment, I want to thank the residents of Saugus, Revere, Lynn and other surrounding communities who came out on a beautiful summer night to learn more about why expansion of Wheelabrator’s ash landfill would be a travesty,” said Alliance founding member State Representative RoseLee Vincent. “We were proud to co-host this informative discussion with Dr. Paul Connett and knowledgeable environmental leaders about the dangers of toxic incinerator ash.”

The Alliance encourages any citizen who was not able to attend the forum to watch it online at:https://vimeo.com/171794512.  

One of the key points highlighted by Connett confirmed Alliance concerns about the level of toxicity in ash placed at the landfill in Saugus.  Highly contaminated fly ash is mixed with bottom ash before being spread onto the ash landfill located adjacent to the Rumney Marshes Area of Critical Environmental Concern.  While many other countries treat this fly ash as hazardous waste, the US Environmental Protection Agency changed its regulations to accommodate the industry when fly ash was too toxic to meet environmental monitoring tests for toxicity.

“This is just one more reason why we must ensure closure of this landfill. Our neighborhoods and environmental resources have been burdened by pollution from contaminated ash for far too long,” Representative Vincent went on to say.  “Now we must shift from expanding this facility to putting protections in place that will prevent the landfill from causing more problems for the local environment as we grapple with increasing sea level rise and storm surge in the future.”

The timeline for the public to submit comments on Wheelabrator’s proposal for expansion of its ash landfill has been extended to Tuesday, July 5th, 2016.  This new deadline does not affect anybody who has already submitted comments. However, if members of the public wish to weigh-in, they may do so by [email protected] or by sending them to the following address:

Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs

Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA)

Attn: MEPA Office

Page Czepiga, EEA No. 15525

100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900

Boston MA 02114

The Alliance for Health and Environment was formed in May, 2016 with the goal of raising awareness of incinerator ash disposal activities in Saugus, reducing pollution associated with waste incineration and ash disposal, and promoting environmental justice for communities impacted by waste incineration and ash disposal.