Mayor, planning commission should be held accountable

To the editor:

I am writing in regard to the dumpsite proposed by Central Monofill Services located on the west side of the Glenn Highway Mile 38.3 at behind the shooting range across from the entrance to Granite’s gravel pit.

CMS is applying for another permit for this dumpsite project after the first permit was denied. Apparently, there is no limit on how many times one can apply for a permit and hopefully, the Mat-Su Borough Planning Commission will take special care to exercise their investigative functions outlined in MSB Title 4.

Here are some facts about the project:

1. The dumpsite will be located in very close proximity to an open aquifer that feeds into over 20 local wells as well as all of the Kepler-Bradley lake system.

2. The borough has received at least two hydrology reports, one of which predicts potential for well contamination in a 1 mile down-gradient direction from the source.

3. The CMS property is too unstable to support a house because of expected liquefaction during earthquakes. Would it be logical then, to approve a dumpsite full of hazardous material with the very real risk of directly contaminating ground water leading to an open aquifer?

4. CMS received numerous citations for violations relating to illegal dumping at the proposed site. How could anyone be confident that CMS could be self-regulatory, given its past history of breaking the law? Keep in mind, there would be no outside monitoring of asbestos management, screening of inert material for components of hazardous waste, or groundwater testing. This will all be done in-house by a company that has already violated its very own protocol in its application.

5. CMS currently has only $1 million insurance with $10 million aggregate. This would not come close to the environmental, property, and health damages should contamination occur. The commission needs to view this application in a realistic, worst-case situation, and not a perfect, accident-free scenario.

In closing, and with consideration of the facts, it would be hard to fathom any Planning Commission member voting in favor of this permit, with all the risk involved. I would hope voters pay special attention to the outcome of Monday night’s vote, and not only hold the Planning Commission responsible, but the Mayor who appointed and advised them.

Heather Robb

Palmer