Casella, DEP formalize agreement for new water line in Charlton

Casella, DEP formalize agreement for new water line in Charlton.
Telegram & Gazette Staff @BLeeTG The towns of Southbridge and Charlton, along with Southbridge landfill operator Casella Waste Systems and the state Department of Environmental Protection on Wednesday signed an administrative consent order that calls for Casella and the state to each pay up to $5 million for a water line from Southbridge to a Charlton neighborhood with contaminated private wells.
As part of the agreement, Casella, doing business as the Southbridge Recycling & Disposal Park at 65 Barefoot Road, has withdrawn its request that Southbridge compensate Casella approximately $2 million for testing of groundwater and for bottled water the company has been providing to some Charlton residents.
Importantly, the agreement provides public water to residents affected by contamination, and officials in both towns are encouraging the Charlton residents to sign up for what will be free hookups to the system.
“I’ve never seen state government come in and so openly try to help towns,” Mr. San Angelo said.
Mr. San Angelo explained that Southbridge can borrow at a lower cost than the company.
Southbridge and Charlton already have an agreement for Southbridge to supply water to Charlton.
In a modification to the municipal agreement, Charlton will own all of the infrastructure for the water line into the Charlton neighborhood near the landfill.
Municipal water is the only feasible solution to the contamination in the neighborhood, eliminates every contaminant currently found in the private wells, and stops the contamination from spreading from our septic systems.
Further, it does nothing to address other neighborhoods in danger of being contaminated, and whose residents are not receiving municipal water, in Sturbridge in Southbridge, Mr. Jordan said.

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