Who let him in here?

Got this in yesterday, over the email; it's a story from Globe North, Oct. 1996:

Wood chip processor raises neighbors' ire
Andrew Blake, Globe Staff.

EVERETT -- Let the chips fall where they may is fine if you're out in the woods, but troublesome if you live near a company grinding demolition wood from houses and buildings into wood chips, creating dust in the process, according to a neighborhood opposition group.

Wood Waste of Boston Inc., on the Chelsea-Everett line near the new Chelsea High School, is operating under a consent order by the state Department of Environmental Protection while it continues an investigation into the firm's operations.

"This is a blue-collar neighborhood. It took a lot of work by a lot of people to get action taken on this situation. Nobody should be subjected to the clouds of soot and dust that could contain lead and arsenic," said Jeanne Cristiano, a member of the Everett Board of Aldermen.

William Thibault, owner of Wood Waste, denied the allegations of neighbors and city officials, saying, "There are no particles and no contaminats coming from my yard. I'm in an industrial area. There are lots of businesses here, including junkyards.

"The bottom line is I took over a facility and spent over $1 million to clean it up. I went to the city and the state with my plans. There are no secrets here. I'm bringing it into compliance and am under a consent order until the state issues its final permit," he added.

"This is a positive thing. I'm recycling waste wood into wood chips for fuel companies. I plan to put up a $2 million facility to completely enclose this process. It will have vacuums and filters and will be very clean," he said.

" . . . they're only about a hundred yards away from Chelsea High's new playing field. Who knows what they're breathing," said Anthony Carbone, a neighborhood activist in Everett. "People, including myself, have complained of runny eyes, burning throats and soot all over their windows and any clothes hanging outside," he added.

"We started out with about 30 people and now we've got about 100 citizens concerned with what's happening here. At least we've forced some action," Carbone said.

Thibault denied reports that dust caused runny eyes, runny noses and other respiratory problems.

"That's false. I've got 30 to 40 employees here and no one ever complained of problems like that. We wet everything down when we grind it. Lead paint is not an issue. As far as dust, when they were building the Chelsea High playing field there was lots of dust all over the place," he said.

He emphasized he is operating in an industrial area and "the only houses around here are across the road and up the hill."

On July 24, according to DEP documents, during an inspection of the site at 141 Boston St. with members of the Everett Board of Health, Wood Waste of Boston was found to be "not in compliance with one or more laws, regulations, orders, permit or approvals enforced by the department."

The report said a pile of unprocessed debris contained "auto parts -- a car bumper, two car doors and a brake rotor, tires; municipal solid waste -- mattresses; a can of oil-based paint and a gasoline can (contents undetermined). Receipt of such materials is a violation. . . ."

The report noted that there were no areas clearly marked for the storage of pressure-treated or creosote-treated wood, another violation.

Earlier this month, Wood Waste of Boston Inc., the DEP and Everett officials met for an enforcement conference that allowed statements to be made but with no action taken.

Thibault said he has his own consultant doing air-quality monitoring to prove there are no contaminants coming from his process but could not say when the report would be available. "I have nothing to hide here. Anybody is welcome to come in and take a look at what we're doing. Anyone can call me personally and I'll take them around," he added.

In a separate action, Wood Waste of Boston is scheduled for a Nov. 13 hearing in Middlesex Superior Court on an appeal of a rejection for a junk dealer's license by Everett.

Wood Waste bought the property, off Route 16, the Revere Beach Parkway, adjacent to Everett Avenue, Chelsea, in 1993. It was formerly occupied by Central Wrecking Company.

"They also owe about $150,000 in back taxes, but it's a long process to go after that, too," said Cristiano.

Asked about back taxes, Thibault said, "I don't know the exact sum. My first priority was to spend the money to clean this place up. I want to sit down with city officials and my lawyer and accountant to work out a payment plan."

But while the legal mill grinds slowly, Wood Waste of Boston still grinds up some 500 tons of demolition material a day, some of which neighbors assert contains wood painted with lead-based paints.

Thomas D. Mahin, chief of the solid waste section, said, "The DEP is closely scrutinizing the existing operations at Wood Waste in Everett and will ensure that if this facility is to remain open, it operates with adequate environmental controls and in a manner which ensures that there will be no adverse risk to the public health and the environment."

Residents and officials are not certain just how effective the DEP's order has been in forcing a cleaner operation.

Cristiano said, "We have no air quality samples. No one knows for sure just what that dust contains. This is an open air operation. We realize there is a need for this kind of operation, but not in a residential neighborhood," she said.

The DEP said it has no plans at present to take air quality samples.

Meanwhile, Chelsea Health Director Frank Singleton said, "I testified at a public hearing in opposition. We are abutters, but other than that we have no other involvement legally. "I testified on what I saw as flaws. Their operation is adjacent to our new high school and that is not a good idea, and I testified that their drainage and air pollution policies were not adequate.

"My big concern is that they have never surveyed the land to show what portion of the property lies in Chelsea and what is in Everett," Singleton continued. "The DEP says there's no ongoing operation by Wood Waste in Chelsea even though the property is contiguous. Until I see a recent survey, there is no way of knowing."

The big concern of Hy German, manager of Segal and Ostrovitz, a wood supply company on Everett Avenue in Chelsea, "is for the health of our employees, our customers and myself."

"It's been a little better over there lately, but there were days when you could hardly breathe. We'd have teary eyes and runny noses," he said.

"We try to be good neighbors but this has been a rough situation," he added.

It's also a situation the city of Everett's legal department plans to keep grinding away at.

"We are trying very hard to keep pressure on the DEP. Initially they did not even want us at the enforcement conference earlier this month. This is a serious issue that directly impacts our locality and we did not want to see a closed door meeting since we have to live with the DEP's decision," said Mark Reich, assistant city solicitor.

"Meanwhile we are hoping for a new proposal to come in from Wood Waste," he added. ##END##

Note that Mark Reich is now Newburyport's city solicitor ... or he is at least the one dealing with New Ventures on behalf of the city.