Briggs committee continues environmental review process
By Karen Mann Journal Correspondent

The John R. Briggs Elementary School Building Committee told Superintendent Michael Zapantis to take the necessary steps to have the extended Phase I survey done on the site after receiving the cost estimate.

According to Zapantis, TRC Environmental

Corporation, the company who did the first Phase I Environmental Site Assessment, originally give an estimate of $26,000, but after reducing the amount of work requested, had it lowered to $8,500.

Committee member Jamie Rheault, who works for the engineering firm Whitman & Bingham Associates LLC, said this was still too much for the work they wanted done.

He estimated about $3,000 overall cost, and agreed to sit in on a conference call with Zapantis and TRC Environmental to talk about the price.

The committee is looking to renovate/ rebuild the school.

During the site assessment, TRC Environmental looked for recognized environmental conditions (RECs). According to the Environmental Protection Agency Web site, a REC is the presence of a regulated substance or pesticide that could pose a threat to the environment or human health if released.

The company found no RECs in the four areas that were studied, which were the underground storage tanks, floor drains, the septic system and the solid waste landfill.

“They didn’t find anything of a serious nature based on the preliminary Phase I,” said Zapantis.

R h e a u l t explained to the committee why it is important to have an extended Phase I study done.

“You can read the Phase I report and all assumptions are valid,” he said. “If we have more testing done, then we will know. We will absolutely know.”

He added that in his professional experience, with a project that is $15 million or more, extensive testing is always done.

“People have environmental concerns,” said Rheault.

In a proposal to Zapantis, TRC Environmental recommended installing a testing well for ground water sampling, and doing one boring around the underground storage tank to test the soil.

The committee will ask the Board of Selectmen for the money for the extended survey. Zapantis said Town Administrator Kevin Paicos seemed supportive about funding it.

The group asked Selectman Christopher Gagnon, who is also on the Briggs Building Committee, what the chances are of receiving the money.

Gagnon said there were two options.

If the committee is only asking for $3,000, he said selectmen would try to find the money from another account. If the request is $8,000, it would have to go on the warrant for the special town meeting in January.

He said either way the committee should ask for the money now, because it becomes a more acceptable item the longer it stays on the list.

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Karen Mann is a 2006 graduate of Emerson College, in Boston, where she studied journalism. She resides in Townsend.