About the
Wilmington Environmental Restoration Committee
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The
Wilmington Environmental Restoration Committee (WERC) membership
comprises residents from Wilmington and neighboring Woburn. Although the
Olin property is physically located in Wilmington, both communities are
affected by the contamination emanating from the site. WERC membership
also includes concerned citizens that have or are currently serving in a
wide range of either public or private organizations. Our diverse group,
through experience, knowledge, and expertise has come together to assist
in addressing the contamination that threatens the health of residents
of Wilmington and Woburn and the surrounding environment. A sampling of
these organizations are listed below: |
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Wilmington Conservation Commission - Several former members of local
government authority which oversees and issues permits relative to
the Wetlands Protection Act;
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Wilmington Board of Selectmen - Former member;
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League
of Women Voters - past President currently serving as
Treasurer/Secretary;
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Headwaters Stream Team of the Ipswich River Watershed Association (HST)
- an advocacy group that has conducted water quality monitoring of
the Ipswich and Maple Meadow Brook since 1997. (Maple Meadow Brook,
main tributary to the Ipswich River and supporting aquifer has been
impacted by the contamination from the Olin site.)
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Wilmington Woburn Collaborative (WWC) - Several WERC members are
currently active members of the WWC and the Woburn Neighborhood
Association.
The WWC has also been involved in acquiring a TAG for the
Industrial-Plex and Wells G and H Superfund sites in Woburn.
- see-
http://www.woburnneighborhoodassociation.com/wst_page2.htm
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Community
Advisory panel (CAP) - Several CAP members are members of WERC. The
CAP was formed in 2002 by the Wilmington Board of Selectmen at the
urging and pressure from citizens within the Wilmington Woburn
Collaborative who believed that the Town of Wilmington needed the
services of an independent consultant to provide information and
advice to the Town regarding the Olin site and other environmental
issues. The CAP developed a Scope of Work, an RFP, conducted
interviews for an environmental consultant under the procurement
laws of Massachusetts and administered an appropriation of
approximately $70,000. Even though the CAP has was disbanded after
its tasks and scope of work was completed, the consultant still
serves the Town of Wilmington on an on going, as needed basis.
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Upper
Ipswich River 21E Review Committee (UIR) - UIR was a liaison group
of environmental regulators and citizens. The citizens within this
group were actively involved in reviewing Wilmington’s contaminated
sites, including Olin and many others in South Wilmington. Members
met with representatives from the Department of Environmental
Protection on a monthly basis for several years. Citizen members
pressed for more comprehensive testing of the Wilmington water
supply and Maple Meadow Brook aquifer for Olin related constituents,
which ultimately lead to the discovery of
N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA).
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Several
WERC members have professional backgrounds in environmental fields,
including chemical engineering and hydrogeology.
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