The air monitoring station at the Rumney Marsh should be working by early fall

By Mark E. Vogler

A state Department of Environmental Protection official has advised the Board of Health that he expects that the air monitoring station planned for Rumney Marsh “will be fully operational by late summer or early fall.” Director of Public Health John R. Fralick III advised the Board of Health at Monday’s meeting that he received confirmation from Sean Dunn, Deputy Division Director of the MassDEP Air Assessment Branch in Lawrence, that the agency is “getting very close” to air monitoring in Saugus.

“Since our presentation in June 2024, we’ve made significant progress,” Dunn advised Fralick in an email last week.

“We successfully secured funding for the project, identified a mutually agreed-upon location for the monitor at the Rumney Marsh Reservation, procured all necessary materials – including the air monitoring equipment and a climate-controlled cabinet shelter – and contracted an electrician to install the system,” Dunn wrote.

“We are currently working with the local utility provider to bring power to the monitoring site. This process began in December 2024 and has involved navigating several logistical challenges. Most recently, the utility accepted our payment for the required work, and we are now awaiting scheduling. Once the work is completed, our electrician can proceed with wiring the station, after which we can begin monitoring air quality,” he said.

Fralick read the letter into the record during Monday’s meeting.

Pending an emergency over the summer months, the Board of Health will not be meeting again until Monday, Sept. 1.