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Home My Public Portal AboutBoard of Health -- 2023-10-18 Minutesomwl III f WUN�111111 F- W 0 9� 0 COR 19, 15 0wo Town of Brewster 2198 MAIN STREET BREWSTER, MASSACHUSETTS 02631-1898 PHONE: 508.896.3701 EXT. 1120 FAX: 508.896.4538 brhealthCa�brewster- WWW.BREWSTER-MA.GOV Board of Health Meeting Wednesday, October 18, 2023 at 6:30PM Town Hall, Room A Fi; 1 J, :!:A Y.1 Jy U-10 P' ER C E R.". Health Department Amy L. von Hone, R -S., C.H.O. Director Sherrie McCullough, R.S. Assistant Director Tammi Mason Senior Department Assistant Board members present: David Bennett, Chair; Kimberley Crocker Pearson, MS, MD, MPH, Vice Chair; Penny Holeman, MPH, MA, MS, and Abigail Archer Others present: Amv von Hone. R.S.. C.H.O.. Health Director Call to order The meeting was called to order at 6:30PM. 2. Declaration of a quorum There was a quorum present. 3. Recording statement Noted. 4. Chair announcements None. S. Citizen's forum None. 6. Discuss and vote on MWRC (MA Water Resources Authority) KCP- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which grants discharge permits to MWRA outfall @ Deer Island, has removed the Science Advisory Board (An independent group of scientists that have been looking at water quality and other data that has come out of the outfall over the past 28 years). Deer Island is a treatment plant just north of Boston, that treats about 330 million gallons of wastewater per day. The treated water is then pumped 91/2 miles offshore under the Mean and is diffused into the Massachusetts Bay. It is not a plant that is set up to treat contaminants of emerging concern. For the last 28 years, the EPA has required that an independent group of scientists (OMSAP) review all the data on the treated wastewater and any data that is collected in and around the outfall for potential effects on the Bay (I.E., fish health, algae blooms, oxygen levels in bottom waters and most recently contaminants of emerging concern) They did public a Treatise last year on how they felt the MWRA should go forward in terms of looking at chemical contamination in this part of the bay. In the permit this year, the EPA made a statement that the data shows that decades of wastewater discharge has not harmed Massachusetts Bay and the scientists service were no longer required. The independent scientists do not agree with that statement. She shared the location of Deer Island on a map and shared a slide show with the Board. N:\Health\from Shari\MSWORK FOLDERS\MEETfNGS\BOMOctl823m.doc People on the Cape should be concerned with ongoing discharges that are unanalyzed. She went over the unintended consequences from this which includes pharmaceuticals, caffeine, sucralose and PFAS. There have been 2 additional studies done on seabirds and bottom fish that have found that they have PFAS in them. What she would like to see is, prior to the November 28, 2023 public comment deadline for the EPA, the Board produce a statement that says, "Peer review is the cornerstone of all good science". She is hoping to convince the EPA to put into the permit that it needs some sort of external review. DB — a single letter from the BOH is not going to give much weight and asked what she was looking for from the Board. KCP-thinks that the Board and any Brewster resident could submit a comment to the EPA. DB — would like to see data on what the EPA is finding and where. KCP- environmental standards have not really been set. AA — we could either do a very specific letter or a general one. DB — doesn't think we know enough to write a specific letter but would be in favor of writing a general letter. Motion: Have Kimberley Crocker Pearson draft a letter to the EPA that voices a concern by the BOH of the stopping of monitoring and would like to see an independent peer review of the emerging contaminants. Motion: David Bennett Second: Abigail Archer Vote: 4-0 Action: Motion carried 7. Pressure Dose update AVH- there has not been a large response. We have had a few inquiries from inspectors that haven't done this type of inspection before. One of the Town properties is doing more research on how to adjust the laterals to be able to get an inspection done. DB -because the response has been poor, he thinks a follow up letter should be sent to owners telling them that we are looking for responses. PH & AA would also like to see some follow-up. Motion: Discuss issuing second letters to the ones we have not heard back from at the 11/15/23 meeting. Motion: Kimberley Crocker Pearson Second: Penny Holeman Vote: 4-0 Action: Motion carried 8. I/A System monitoring information AVH- on the master sheet, a lot of spaces are blank and need to be filled in (property files need to be reviewed). High results = more information on the end of the sheet. There are still a handful of owners that have not responded yet. The 60 -day deadline will be at the end of October. She will either put this on the second meeting in November or the first meeting in December. BREW-COM44-FAS This system was installed in 2023 and the first test was at 22. The second test came back at 9.96. The Board is not sure there is enough data to get a good picture of how the system will function. They suggested to keep monitoring it. Motion: Do not issue a letter to the homeowner. Keep monitoring the system numbers. Motion: Penny Holeman Second: Kimberely Crocker Pearson Vote: 4-0 Action: Motion carried David Bennett recused himself from discussion on the next property. B REW-ROB298-Advantex 2021 reading was 84.3, 2022 reading was 6 and 2023 reading was 106. It doesn't appear that they are testing as much as they are supposed to be. NAHealfh\from ShadWS WORK FOLDERS\MEETINGS\BOH\Oct1823m.doe AVH-this is a seasonal property. This property is an ESA area with a nitrogen component and that is why the BOH wanted it tested. Motion: Send letter of non-compliance to owners Motion: Abigail Archer Second: Penny Holeman Vote: 3-0 Action: Motion carried David Bennett rejoined the meeting. He stated that quarterly updates of the I/A spreadsheet from now on would be sufficient. 9. Liaison reports KCP-The Opioid Committee has not convened yet. PH-COA is meeting tomorrow and on the agenda is approval of the liaison appointment. AA -Recycling Commission has not met again since the last meeting. DB-WRTF is meeting on Monday. A draft letter for public information on watersheds is being presented. A presentation by the Brewster Ponds Coalition is being given and they are looking to have some money allocated at the town meeting to do some pond studies. It will be re -directed to the Pond Management Plan/. 10. Matters not reasonably anticipated by the Chair DB -spoke about the Citizens Petition for short term rentals that is on the warrant. AVH- is doing research on the cost and how it will be run. This will fall under the Health Department. AVH-there is information being circulated about the County's Substance Abuse newsletter and how people can subscribe to it. AVH-she and Peter Lombardi met with a representative of the consulting firm JSI, that the state has subcontracted with to help the state and individuals' communities with use of the opioid funds. Towns could pool the money with other towns to get more for the money. 11. Items for next agenda Draft letter for the MWRC. Consent agenda for in-house variances. Maybe a deeper discussion on the Citizens Petition 12. Next meeting: November 1, 2023 Noted. 13. Informational items: Items were noted. A. DB asked what this was about. AVH stated that the State is trying to bring all Health Department's up to minimum standards and that Barnstable County will be a training hub. KCP asked if there was any training for BOH members. PH stated that MAHB has training for new members. DB- MHOA also has some great training. David Bennett asked for the location of the monitoring wells at the former CCSC property. Meeting adjourned at 7:40PM. *accompanying documents in packet: agenda, MWRC information, I/A system information, informational items. NAHealth\from Shari\MSWORK FOLDERS\MEETINGS\BOH\Octl823m.doc