heavy page 1 10-19-23

Heavy bill for foam cleanup

 

By Linda Lemmon

Town Crier Editor

PUTNAM --- Voters in the East Putnam Fire District voted recently to move funds from the Capital and Non-recurring Fund to the Operating Budget in order to pay for cleanup of a banned fire suppressant.

District Vice President John Barnes said AFFF was mistakenly dispensed at a Sept. 6 fire at Ross Recycling.

The funds will be used to pay a bill from Kropp Environmental Contractors of Lebanon in the amount of $67,692.69.

Fire Chief Abe Walker said some foam was still left in the truck and was dispensed. Walker said that the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) was there as it is customary that they go to fires involving petroleum products/hazardous materials, etc.  The DEEP ordered the cleanup.

Barnes said Kropp was hired to clean up the affected soil in the recycling center and the product that ran downhill. “Cleanup and disposal is very expensive,” he said.

When the chemical was banned by law in 2021, the state legislature granted the DEEP $3 million to collect and safely get rid of AFFF from fire departments. That grant is long gone.

Walker said the district is working on getting the chemical properly disposed of. The chemical sits in a section of a fire truck and it is mixed with water as it’s sprayed out, producing a foam that suppresses petroleum fires. He added, barring any disasters, the district is not in need of any critical pieces of equipment out of the Capital and Non-recurring Fund.

East Putnam resident and town Fire Marshal Scott Belleville urged the district to be transparent about the issue.

According to the state DEEP site, “An Act Concerning the Use of PFAS in Class B Firefighting Foam, effective July 13, 2021” , implemented a phased ban of the use of firefighting foams containing intentionally-added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These foams are typically used for extinguishing Class B flammable liquid and petroleum hydrocarbon fires.  Common labels for these foams include AFFF, AR-AFFF, FFFP, AR-FFFP, FP, and FPAR (“Fluorinated Foam”).  The Fluorinated Foam ban was rolled out in phases.”

 

raising pg 8 8-17-23


Raising 'Can - na'
This bright and beautiful canna is at the Inn at Woodstock Hill in Woodstock. Linda Lemmon photo.

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hometown pg 8 8-17-23



Hometown
Financial Group
named a top
workplace winner
OXFORD, Mass. — Hometown Financial Group, parent company of bankHometown, announced it was named a 2023 Financial Services Industry Top Workplaces national award winner.
This award is based solely on feedback from employees of participating workplaces, gathered through an anonymous, third-party survey administered by Energage, LLC, a leading provider of technology-based employee engagement tools.
Top Workplaces Industry awards celebrate organizations that have built a people-first workplace culture and mark them as an employer of choice within their sector.
This is the second year in a row that bankHometown’s parent company has been recognized nationally in the financial services industry category.
The company also was named a national Top Workplaces USA winner as well as a Hartford Courant Top Workplaces winner in 2022.
“To be nationally recognized as an employer of choice in financial services is a tremendous honor, particularly since it’s the direct result of feedback from those who know us best:  our employees,” said bankHometown President and CEO Robert J. Morton. “I’m proud of our employees’ passion and dedication to helping our customers, our communities, and each other unlock their potential, every day. As an employer, we’re equally committed to nurturing an environment where everyone feels valued and respected, and where employees can unlock their own potential, personally and professionally.”

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police pg 8 8-17-23



The following charges were listed in the Putnam Police Department logs.  The people charged are innocent until proven guilty in court. The Town Crier will publish dispositions of cases at the request of the accused. The dispositions must be accompanied by the proper documentation. The Putnam Police Department confidential Tip Line is 860-963-0000.
Aug. 13
James H. Sargent, 39, Valley Road, N. Grosvenordale; third-degree assault, disorderly conduct, first-degree criminal trespass.

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allium pg 8 8-17-23


Allium in bloom. Linda Lemmon photo.

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