Events Leading up to contamination of Greenwich High School......
July of 1966 A special RTM votes $9,800,000 to erect a new High School located on Hillside Road. The largest single amount ever granted during this time.
Construction begins as does filling of what's to become athletic fields on wetlands which previously known as 10 Acre Swamp.
(Town evades responsibilty to obtain permits from Gov't Agencies)
http://www.greenwichtime.com/opinion/article/GHS-neighbor-Contamination-the-result-of-years-2139658.php
©Photo: GHS Compass yearbook 1977.
In 2011 a $44,000,000.00 Municipal Improvement is granted for a Music Instructional Space and Auditorium better known as (MISA). As per the Greenwich Time, no one looked or tested the soil until a backhoe operator, digging a trench at the start of the new Music Instructional Space Auditorium project in 2011, brought up scoopfuls of oily muck containing PCBs and other toxins. Upon his discovery the project immediately halts, soil testing begins.
http://www.greenwichtime.com/local/article/Officials-Test-soil-before-future-school-5556717.php
Following testing the discovery of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) is made public among various other heavy metals. The town claims it has no knowledge, records or recollection of where these contaminates originated from.
© 1975 Photo by: Christopher Semmes- Greenwich, CT
Our local Government didn't haul coal or fly ash out of the town. They were frugal or "penny wise and pound foolish" if you will. They utilized these toxic brews to fill large parcels of land, and disconcerted themselves that the community would become ill, and property values of it's constituents would plummet.
In 1977 a resident called the town to complain about the smell and "hundreds of truck loads of fill deposited within mapped wetlands"
http://documents.greenwichct.org/publicaccess/ 1978-77 to view entire file
(look up permits on your own property)
Greenwich Time 3/7/2013 Truth about PCBs still buried....
"But it confirms what some neighbors have claimed for years and Town Hall has long denied": "The former swamp that became GHS in 1970 was a dump site for thousands of truckloads of poisonous compounds".
http://www.greenwichtime.com/news/article/Bob-Horton-Truth-about-PCBs-still-buried-4337625.php#photo-1192279
This 1968 court case illustrates who deposited fill at the High School in the mid to late 60's. The contractor claimed months later due to mathematical error the Town owed his company for additional yards of BORROWED fill after the completion of the contracted work. The towns refusal to pay $14,000.00 demonstrates the town had been duped. Could the contractor obtained that "borrowed fill" from the towns stockpiles of fly and coal ash? Was the Town was mearly paying for use of the contractors trucks, fuel, and labor to dump and spread the contaminated material into the GHS athletic fields (10 acre swamp)?
For the full court case..... CT Supreme Court case http://law.justia.com/cases/connecticut/supreme-court/1968/156-conn-561-2.html
(See Page 96)
http://www.greenwichct.org/upload/medialibrary/d3f/Annual_Report_2011-2012_Final.pdf
©Photo by: Bill Effros- Greenwich, CT.
Rock Crusher on GHS field.
©Photo by: Helen Neafsey, Greenwich Time
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5/20/2013 Town of Greenwich Documentation states the following:
Fundraising Results to Date: Gift pledges to the Campaign for MISA total $1,195,801. All pledges to the Campaign for MISA are payable over a period of up to three installments over three years. With the delay in construction due to the unforeseen discovery of contaminated soil, and therefore the release of the approved Town funding for Phase 1 of the project, the Campaign decided not to call 2011 or 2012 pledges in order to properly match cash flows. Once the Town releases the balance of all approved funding, the Campaign will begin to call pledges. Donors received letters in November 2011 and December 2012 with this update. Actual gifts received as of December 31, 2012 total $234,900.
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Unforeseen?
http://www.greenwichct.org/upload/medialibrary/e70/BET_Meeting_Packet_05-20-13.pdf
(page 17)
Environmental Evaluation:
http://www.greenwichschools.org/uploaded/district/pdfs/News_Archives/News_Archives_2012-13/GHS_Environmental_Evaluation/RI_Report_Executive_Summary.pdf
How does MISA impact tax payers?
Contributed photo of MISA Proposed Rendering
Since the start of MISA in 2011, the Mill Rate has increased.
1) Mr. Ramer proposed striking the last sentence in the second paragraph on page 1 which in part read, “our tax mill rate has increased a modest 2.75% over each of the last three years”; Ms. Kiernan added that no historical reference was necessary. Ms. Tarkington differed saying it supplied context and sent a message to appointing authorities; she indicated that she could accept substituting the word “consistent” for “modest”, but that the 2.75% number should be included.. Mr. Johnson felt that the sentence expressed facts and did not require change. Upon a motion by Mr. Ramer, seconded by Ms. Kiernan, the Committee voted 2-2 for the proposed deletion. Motion failed. (Opposed: Johnson, Tarkington)
http://www.greenwichct.org/upload/medialibrary/f4e/BET_Budget_Comm_Mtg_Packet_11-13-14.pdf pg-4
When MISA & remediation is finally paid will tax payers see relief reflected in the Mill Rate or will it increase again due to the arsenic findings at Byram Shore, and contamination in Armstrong Court, the dump and next up New Leb School? How much more exists in Greenwich?
Contributed photo of MISA Proposed Rendering
Where are these contributions really going? Toward the project or to offset the cost of the (Unforeseen) Contamination? Should we be following the $$,$$$,$$$,$$$?
Campaign for MISA: Naming Opportunities and Levels
Auditorium To be negotiated
Galleria To be negotiated
Band/Orchestra Shell $350,000*
Orchestra Pit/Stage Thrust $200,000*
Ticket Booth/Coat Room $150,000
Lobby Elevator $100,000
Girls' Dressing Room $50,000*
Boys' Dressing Room $50,000*
Projection Room/Control Booth $50,000*
Green Room $25,000*
Note: Naming opportunities for which the Campaign for MISA has received pledges are indicated with
an asterisk.
All documents concerning contamination at GHS.
http://www.greenwichschools.org/page.cfm?p=10019
INTERESTING OR COINCIDENTIAL? NO PCB'S ARE FOUND BENEATH THE ASTRO TURF INSTALLED BETWEEN 2001-2005 OVERSEEN BY ANTHONY L. D'ANDREA??? HOW IS IT HUMANLY POSSIBLE THAT PCB'S ARE ONLY FOUND AROUND THE BOARDER OF FIELDS 6 & 7? IS IT ODD THAT THE SAME ENGINEER IS WORKING ON THE ARMSTRONG COURT PROJECT?
IS IT ODD NO FINDINGS OF PCBS BENEATH THE NEWER FIELDS INSTALLED OR TRACK??
Read the file for yourself.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/6n49de3rkxggz7d/GHS%2001-165%20playing%20field%20neighbors%20nightmare.pdf?dl=0
What are PCB's? How do they harm health? Could you or your family be effected at a later date? get the skinny here.
http://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/text_version/chemicals.php?id=22
http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/hazard/tsd/pcbs/
Who ensures pubic health and safety post remediation?
Who becomes the gate keepers of public health?
Our local government? Could they be the biggest polluters of all the contaminated property in town? Where is our health Department during all of this?
FOI
http://www.state.ct.us/foi/2010FD/20101027/FIC2010-137.htm
http://www.ct.gov/foi/cwp/view.asp?a=4162&Q=538022
http://www.ct.gov/foi/cwp/view.asp?a=4162&Q=504718
http://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/1098115/foi.pdf
Meeting Minutes & Decisions
http://www.greenwichct.org/upload/medialibrary/3fb/2001_12-17_Minutes.pdf
http://www.greenwichct.org/upload/medialibrary/b01/2001_11-26_Minutes.pdf
http://www.greenwichct.org/upload/medialibrary/30d/07-08-03FPhZ.pdf
http://www.greenwichct.org/upload/medialibrary/92c/Minutes071603.pdf
http://www.greenwichct.org/upload/medialibrary/c89/Decisions071603.pdf
http://www.greenwichct.org/upload/medialibrary/96b/2005-09-26_Minutes.pdf pg4 pg7
http://www.greenwichct.org/upload/medialibrary/f2c/BOS%2011-6-14%20Agenda%20and%20Public%20Packet.PDF (Note pg 7 missing Pending litigation for FOI Decision)
http://www.greenwichct.org/upload/medialibrary/033/Bd%20of%20PrR%20Mtg%20Minutes%206-25-14.pdf (pg 7 neighbor's comments and Joe Siciliano answer)
GHS Foot ball Stadium 1971.
©Photo: GHS Compass Year Book 1971
