~ The Saugus Advocate Asks ~

The Saugus Board of Selectmen candidates share their environmental vision for the town

  Editor’s Note: The environment continues to be a major issue of concern for Saugus citizens and its local government leaders, much as it has for many years. Making sure that the WIN Waste Innovations trash-to-energy plant on Route 107 doesn’t adversely affect the quality of life for residents is an ongoing concern for the Board of Health and town officials. Protecting the Saugus River, which winds its way through town, has been a concern for decades. Preservation of Breakheart Reservation and the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site – the chief conservation and recreation venues in town – is a top priority. Saugus Town Meeting and the Board of Selectmen have been environmentally conscious when it comes to their voting record. Town officials pride themselves on helping to make Saugus “A Tree Town” and “A Green Community.” For this week, we decided to take a look at the environmental visions of the candidates. Saugus Action Volunteers for the Environment (SAVE) conducted its biennial forum for the Board of Selectmen candidates on Wednesday night (Oct. 25). SAVE asked the candidates to provide a brief statement addressing their environmental vision for the Town of Saugus. As a courtesy for readers and the residents of Saugus – many who will be voting in the Nov. 7 town election, we are reprinting the candidates’ responses, listed alphabetically by the candidates’ last names.

Jeffrey V. Cicolini:

I have always been environmentally aware, however in the past decade I have become significantly more passionate and outspoken about protecting our environment, our people, our earth! In today’s fast paced society everyone is trying to do everything more efficiently and effectively and unfortunately sometimes the impact on our environment is not taken into account. Protection of our environment and the natural resources is imperative in order to make sure our future generations can enjoy the air we breathe and the land we occupy. Education needs to start as early as possible for our children.

From renewable energy, solar farms and the importance of the capping of landfills to promoting recycling, the use of hybrid vehicles and encouraging the purchase of energy efficient household items such as appliances, toilets and hot water heaters there are countless ways for our residents to partake in the protection of our environmental and its natural resources. I feel my actions speak louder than words, for example;

• Every property I own, including our home we built 5 years ago, contains energy efficient appliances, water saving toilets, water heaters and furnaces.
• We have a totally electric car in our home and we have a charging station installed for efficient charging.

In 2015, upon being elected, I made the motion at the Board of Selectmen’s meeting to reaffirm the board’s position statement preventing any further expansion of the ash landfill on Rt. 107. My position has not changed; I do not support expansion of the landfill by any means.

• I attended and spoke at the Revere City Council meeting to emphasize my support for Representative RoseLee Vincent’s bill (H.771) surrounding the same topic re: preventing any further expansion of the ash landfills.
• I wrote a letter as a citizen of Saugus and officer/Treasurer of the Point of Pines Yacht Club to our legislators to emphasize the importance of their support of Representative Vincent’s legislation.
• My family has been recycling since it started in Saugus and I am proud to say this has been passed on to my children who take part in the process of separating our materials each week before trash and recycling containers are put by the curb.
• I fully support the proposed policy by the Saugus Board of Health pertaining to the grease trap regulations for places of business (FOG policy). I have not supported any waivers applied for by businesses. In closing I would say that awareness of the importance of environmental protection is of great importance to me and my family. I am always searching for ways to increase my participation in energy conservation and resource protection. If I am re-elected to the Board of Selectmen I would like to work with the Town Manager and our recycling coordinator to explore items to further our stance as a green community. This includes looking into the possibility of single stream recycling and continuing to update our facilities to more energy efficient platforms.

Anthony W. Cogliano:

Nobody loves this town more than I do, and I think it shows.

I watched this town fight with Resco, Wheelabrator and now WIN waste for years and come up empty losing lawsuit after lawsuit. My philosophy is always to try and work with people instead of against them and the results have been excellent. WIN now attends all meetings of the Saugus Board of Health and deals with problems they face or issues that go wrong immediately. The recent twenty minutes of horrific noise coming from the facility brought about quite a stir in East Saugus but could be heard at various points throughout the town. Unfortunate to say the least but these things happen. I listened to other elected officials get up and say we need to close them down, which is great theater and good for votes but it’s pandering to the audience and ridiculous. I immediately went to the facility and stayed there until the noise subsided and our safety officials were clear that we were all set.

After attending the emergency meeting of the Board of Health, I met with representatives of WIN waste the very next morning and got them to agree with all the suggestions made at the meeting. They will be putting in a designated line to our Police and Fire Stations, and installing a NOX monitor on the corner of Ballard Street and RT 107. They will also have a designated worker to meet police and fire on site should an unfortunate incident happen in the future.

I also created the WIN waste landfill committee to address issues if the DEP should allow them to extend the height of the ash pile. Should they be granted permission by the State, they will also require a site assignment from our Board of Health and if that should pass, Saugus now has a mechanism in place with our Host Community Agreement. This agreement will allow Saugus to have no tipping fees for the next 25 years which saves the town over 30 million dollars. In addition to that, we will have major upgrades to the facilities exterior, NOX monitors put in place at various points in town, lowering the emission of NOX to 170 parts per million which is down from 205 parts per million when I was elected in 2019.

In addition to the HCA, I was the driving force behind Hilco developments project that brought us the new UPS facility on Rt 107. In my opinion, one of the biggest environmental cleanups in the history of our town. We rid ourselves of a highly contaminated auto salvage yard and replace it with a state of the art facility creating hundreds of jobs for our residents. Hilco also tore down a decaying dock along the Saugus River and replaced it with what will be a beautiful River Walk along the river for all Saugus residents to enjoy. When you step back and look at the big picture, no one is doing more for our environment than me.

Sebastian DiModica IV:

My name is Sebastian DiModica. I am currently running for Selectman in the Town of Saugus. I was asked what my environmental outlook for the town looks like. A few ideas: I would like to see a common grow area where we take one of the unused pieces of land, and turn it into a spot where people can come and grow gardens and people can pick vegetables for free and fruit. I would like to see the dying and diseased trees around town removed and new ones planted.

I am currently doing some research on the WIN waste plant. There is a lot of concern in the town about pollution, etc. and I’m working to educate myself on the regulations and mandates that they are required to abide by and if something needs to be revisited. I reside not too far from the WIN plant and, to be quite honest, I’ve never really looked into it much so I will be doing my homework so I then can have an educated understanding of how it operates.

I’ll finish with saying thank you for inviting me here tonight, and allowing me an opportunity to introduce myself as a candidate for Selectman in the Town of Saugus. Have a blessed evening.

Debra C. Panetta:

My environmental vision has been shaped by over three decades of involvement in the environmental affairs of Saugus. I currently serve as the Vice Chairman of the Saugus Board of Selectmen, the President of the Saugus River Watershed Council, past-President, and current member of SAVE, and a member of Conservation Law, Alliance for Health and the Environment, and the Garden Club. In June 2018, I received an award from SAVE for my commitment to protect the environment. In October 2019, I received the 2019 John O’Conner Grassroots Leadership Award from Clean Water Action. I have been endorsed by the Sierra Club.

My vision for Saugus includes a clean, healthy, and attractive environment. The air we breathe, the space we share, the energy we consume, and the water we protect are all critical aspects of my vision. Most important is my personal belief that as a Selectman, my actions will not result in environmental degradation.

I have not and will not allow any proposal or project that would result in direct or eventual environmental harm. I believe my actions as a sitting Selectman are consistent with my belief that we should do everything we can to protect our valuable natural resources to ensure a healthy Saugus for future generations.

Natural areas such as Rumney Marsh, Pranker’s Pond, the Saugus River, and Breakheart Reservation help promote and preserve healthy neighborhoods, provide opportunities for recreation, and are an important part of our town’s economy. While I support economic development, I believe that such economic development must balance the protection of our valuable natural resources with opportunities for quality growth and appropriate redevelopment.

I will not support any expansion of the WIN Waste facility. I’ve attended several neighborhood meetings to discuss the various issues (e.g., noise, odor, air quality, fires) surrounding this facility. I helped coordinate various education forums on incineration, landfills, and waste alternatives. I strongly supported Representative Giannino’s and Turco’s three house bills (H816, H817, and H818). I also attended the State meetings on the solid waste master plan.

I support the Town’s capital and infrastructure improvements, which looks at our capital exposure to bring safe, environmentally friendly, and energy efficiencies for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. Saugus was again reaffirmed as a green community which is beneficial when applying for grants.

I was an early supporter of the Bike to the Sea rail trail. I’m a strong supporter of parks, playgrounds, and recreational facilities.

My goal is to always do the right thing for the environment while extending Saugus taxpayers’ dollars. While serving as a Saugus Selectman, our environment will continue to be an area of focus. A thoughtful and proactive approach to our environment is good for homeowners, neighborhoods, and businesses. Protecting and enriching our environment does not have to be radical or painful. It requires skilled staff, innovative ideas, and leaders who have vision. I believe my record proves that I have the vision needed to continue providing a balanced approach to protecting Saugus’ natural resources for future generations.

Corinne R. Riley:

My environmental vision for Saugus is simple and practical. I would like the environment to be clean and safe, with residents, businesses, and our local and state governments doing their part. To achieve those goals, I would focus on practical measures within our control. Specifically:

• Promote more consistent enforcement of our bylaws regarding dumpsters, which are too often left open and visible from abutting properties and public streets.
• Promote broader outreach informing residents about responsible disposal of car tires, items containing mercury like fluorescent bulbs, thermostats, and thermometers at the CHARM.
• Promote broader outreach informing residents about Household Hazardous Waste Collection for environmentally responsible disposal of latex paint, household chemicals, motor oil, antifreeze, car batteries, etc.
• Personally reduce waste by participating in social media gifting groups like Saugus Up For Grabs. Explore options to offset the cost of covered recycling bins to reduce the amount of windblown trash on our streets.

One environmental victory that I, along with three other candidates, can already claim are our votes supporting the remediation of the 9-acre junkyard on Route 107, with its uncontrolled runoff into the ocean, and replacing it with a beautiful new UPS facility, complete with landscaping and 500-foot paved walkway along the water, not to mention the 250 local jobs it created, all paid for by the developer rather than taxpayers.

Regarding WIN, while everyone in Saugus would like them to simply meet or beat the state-mandated 150 ppm NOx level, they simply don’t have to, because MassDEP allows it. I don’t like that anymore than you, but that is the reality. It’s the MassDEP, not the Board of Selectmen, that allows them to purchase ‘credits’ which permit them to operate at 185 ppm. The Host Community Agreement (HCA) reduces that number down to 175; not what we want, but a practical improvement is better than the other option, which was no improvement at all. Similarly, the HCA achieves reduced emissions of lead, cadmium, dioxin, and particulates to levels required of new waste to energy facilities under federal regulations. I’ve been criticized for voting for the HCA, with one critic claiming I “voted to extend the ash dump another 50 feet”, which is absurd, as the ash pile height is regulated exclusively by MassDEP, who has repeatedly failed Saugus for decades, not only by allowing expansion after expansion of the ash pile, but also the ridiculous practice of purchasing NOx credits. As much as I would prefer to see the ash pile capped at 50 feet, given their record, I simply don’t trust MassDEP to do right by Saugus, so I stand by the vote that I, along with a majority of three Selectmen made to approve the agreement. If MassDEP caps the ash pile at 50 feet, then the HCA becomes moot; the agreement is simply an insurance policy in case MassDEP extends the ash pile yet again.

Michael J. Serino:

My name is Michael J. Serino, I am a graduate of Saugus High School and the University of Massachusetts. My environmental public service record includes: former chairman of the Saugus Conservation Commission and the former Chairman of the Open Space Committee. I am a long-time member of Saugus Action Volunteers for the Environment (SAVE). I am also a member of the Conservation Law Foundation. Throughout my life, I have been advocating for the protection of our environment.

Saugus is fortunate enough to have valuable natural resources such as: Rumney Marsh, the Saugus River, Breakheart Reservation and Pranker’s Pond. Therefore, we need to protect our valuable natural resources. I honestly believe that early education is the key in protecting our environment for future generations.

My environmental vision for Saugus includes: protecting our air quality, water and natural resources. Continue efforts to reduce our waste stream and carbon footprint and expand our open spaces and recreational facilities. My vision and record includes:

• CHARM recycling center. Solar Panel Farm Ongoing water and sewer programs throughout our community. Environmental educational programs in our public schools.
• Expanded open/space recreational facilities, like our walking/bike path. Ongoing tree planting program. Continue replacement of town vehicles with electric vehicles.
• The closing of the toxic ash landfill in the Rumney Marsh, ACEC area.

In conclusion, the residents of Saugus, thanks in part to SAVE, are more aware of the environmental issues that we continue to face as a society today. My years of public service in advocating for the protection of our environment, is a testament to my commitment in protecting our environment. Thank you.

Sandro Pansini Souza:

Our town’s beauty lies in its historic significance or community spirit and its natural surroundings. As a potential selectman, my vision is rooted in the belief that every resident deserves a clean, safe, and vibrant environment to live, work, and play.

We must preserve our precious green spaces, like the Rumney Marsh Reservation, for us and future generations. These spaces are not merely plots of land; they are the lungs of our community and the sanctuaries for local wildlife.

Addressing environmental challenges isn’t about adopting complex terminologies or understanding intricate science. It’s about recognizing the simple truths: clean parks mean healthier children, reduced pollution equals cleaner air, and conservation ensures our natural resources endure.

With this vision, I propose: Collaborating with local businesses and residents to initiate community clean-ups, ensuring our streets and parks are litter-free. By this, we are encouraging the use of sustainable resources and promoting recycling within our community.

We would partner with schools to instill an early appreciation for the environment, laying the foundation for a more eco-conscious future.

I firmly believe that small, collective actions lead to significant change. Together, we can make Saugus a beacon of environmental responsibility, where our commitment to nature is as unwavering as our town’s pride. Let us unite to ensure that Saugus remains the town we love, not just in our hearts but also in its landscapes and horizons. With hope for a greener tomorrow.