DEP says gun range wastes not a hazard

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DEP says gun range wastes not a hazard By: Steve Rzasa December 19, 2001 http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=2809145&BRD=1464&PAG=461&dept_id=179644 THOMASTON - An official from the Department of Environmental Protection assured residents that waste material from the R.D. Outfitters' gun range in Warren will not spontaneously combust, and that burying it in a quarry would reduce the fire hazard from "zero to none." Michael Parker addressed concerns voiced by about 25 residents and selectmen Tuesday. The state Bureau of General Services suggested in its request for proposals that the polypropylene used for berms at R.D. Outfitters could be used to fill in the quarry at the Maine State Prison once demolition is complete. The project was put out to bid Dec. 11. Parker said the berms work as they were intended and there has been no leaching, odors, or problems with settlement. He said the material is durable, but ultraviolet rays in sunlight break down the chemical bonds and make it brittle. "It will burn, but does not spontaneously combust," Parker said. Parker said he is recommending that the polypropylene and polyester be put into the quarry first, filling 100,000 cubic yards of the total 120,000 cubic yards, and then be covered by the 20,000 cubic yards of brick and other demolition debris before being topped by soil, loam and seed. John Smith said that he had worked in the rope business for several years and knows those materials contain quite a lot of chemicals. He said he is concerned that if there is a fire, and water is dumped on the burning materials, the water would contaminate the St. George River. Parker said the material as it exists at Warren is the biggest fire threat. He said once the materials are covered, "that threat goes down from zero to none." Smith said there could be risk of fire while the quarry was being filled. Parker pointed out that the Department of Corrections would be maintaining security at the site. Parker noted that the material, if used to fill the quarry, would be hauled down Route 90 and then Route 1 to the state prison. Selectman Walter Breen wanted to know who ultimately decides if "the stuff" is put in the quarry. Parker said BGS needs a permit from DEP to fill the quarry, and may require a permit from the town of Thomaston. "My main concern is putting materials in there that are certainly questionable," Breen said. Code Enforcement Officer Peter Surek asked why the material isn't being relocated somewhere in Warren. "I'm willing to do so, but I need a big hole to put it in, frankly," Parker said. Surek wanted to know what would happen if the planning board turned down the project, assuming it required site plan review. Parker said the project would fail, because all permits must be approved before it could be done. Surek said that the state has several hundred acres of land in Warren at the site of the new Supermax prison. "Why not keep it in Warren? Why give it to Thomaston?" he said. Eliza Bailey of the Georges River Land Trust asked if the quarry contains drainage pipes, and Parker said that it does. Bailey said the DEP should make its decision to permit the project based on protecting the local natural resources. She said she is concerned about the possibility of the river becoming contaminated. noting that it is one of the cleanest rivers in the state. Peter Lammert made several suggestions, including putting the material in mixed with the demolition materials instead of layered underneath in order to avoid a resettling problem, and also having the DEP monitor any drainage into the river. He also suggested that perhaps the materials could be formed into fuel pellets and burned at the new Maine Correctional Institution, saving Corrections some funds. Cindy Bertocci, who works for DEP but is not connected to the project, said that the liability issue must be considered. According to state law, if something goes wrong, the landowner is financially responsible. cCourier Gazette 2001

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