The landfill and responsibility

There's a nice letter about the landfill in the Daily today, written by Nicole Salemi (community activist and blogger Tom's wife, to name just 2 things about her).

I am guilty of previously and naively thinking this was a neighborhood issue, she writes.

The recent coverage, however, has me looking more closely at the reality of this situation.

She goes on to talk about fear or reprisals and, realistically, the actual moral responsibility "for our city's past negative actions." This had not occurred to me - me, who is always big on saying people should stand up and take responsibility for their actions.

Bravo! She's right - if the city did, in fact, in total ignorance (not excusing it) dump sludge from the waste water treatment plant at the landfill, then we should stand up and take responsibility, not run and hide while this man runs rampant around Low St. with his 70 trucks per day, full of stinky stuff from Everett.

And the people of Everett, while they would get relief from their own stench (at least of one type), are right behind us. They are all over this blog. We may both be small groups, but I think we can carry a big stick.

We should say no to New Ventures Faustian deal which seems to give them more of what they want — trucking in overflow from their other site — and give us more of what we don't want, additional toxic trash that has been historically mismanaged.

Finally, Nicole writes that the entire city should be holding community meetings and information sessions about the landfill.

I think more people are paying attention now, but I'm not sure enough people are paying attention. People on the ad hoc advisory committee told me that residents in some other parts of the city think they are being "crybabies." Not enough non-Ward 5 people turned up for that special meeting last week.

There are not only senior citizens housing and rehabilitation facilities in that area, there are schools and, as Nicole notes, pre-schools. The one time the landfill stench hit me, I was stopped at the traffic light right before Nock Middle School and River Valley Charter School. And the Bright Horizons.

Someone who wanted to talk about the landfill at last night's regular City Council meeting was shut down, told he could only talk about items on the agenda. Why wasn't it on the agenda, if only to refer it to committee?

City leaders need to step up on this one, or no one will believe they can step up and face anyone else who comes into this city, possibly in the belief they can do whatever they want here.