Sludge Removal Begins

The sludge which was dumped on Almeida Road is slowly being removed by Earthsource.

Rehoboth Selectman Rob Johnson said 112 truckloads had already been hauled away as of Monday.

“Everything is going smoothly over there so far,” Johnson said.

Approximately 300 truckloads of sewage sludge were dumped by EarthSource last March.

“It should take 3 to 5 weeks to remove,” Conservation Commission chair Robert Materne told the Reporter on November 2. “DEP scientists and Con Com will be on site to monitor removal.”

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) tested 18 town wells. Materne said the Conservation Commission has received the test results. There are five reports which total over 200 pages.

“DEP did say in the cover letter that the results are not as bad as feared,” Materne said Wednesday.

The DEP had tested the sludge because of the huge size of the alteration of wetlands, which ended up being seven acres. Two samples were taken.

Materne told the other boards that the sludge, which had been stored at the Raynham dog track, is “the largest violation in our history.”

“It’s going to be very costly,” Materne noted. “I know it’s going to cost a huge amount of money to remove it. We don’t have the resources to go after people that DEP has.”

“Wetland restoration will start in the spring,” Materne added. “It is past the fall planting season. Only erosion control will be addressed now. The Conservation Commission will be in charge of restoration.”