ADAMS, Mass. — The Board of Health says it will address dust issues at Pinnacle Park caused by Duke's Sand and Gravel.

 

Code Enforcement Officer Thomas Romaniak told the board on Wednesday that residents of the mobile home park have made multiple complaints about dust from the gravel pit.

 

"I went up there to take pictures and the cars were covered in dirt and when I was leaving all of the sudden in looked like a snow storm," Romaniak said.

 

Romaniak said the dust has been a known problem and that he thought the state was handling the issue. However, new complaints arose in January at a public forum state Rep. Gailanne Cariddi hosted.

 

The state kicked back the issue to the town and currently the building department is taking action.

 

The gravel pit may be in violation of zoning laws, he said, because the company is clearing trees outside of the boundary originally approved.

 

Board member Bruce Shepley said he plans to take another look at establishing a syringe disposal process in town.

 

He had looked into applying for a grant but thought it may be a better option to join up with North Adams Ambulance Service, which pays to dispose of syringes.

 

"I have zero grant experience and I had nowhere to go with it. There was no pressure from any of the other agencies to act on it and it fell away to the back burner," Shepley said. "I think it's appropriate for the board to get involved and be able to address it because it still remains an issue."

 

There is an informal process now that the police and ambulance follows and he said he will meet with them to see if there is a willingness to enter an agreement with North Adams.

 

In other business, Shepley said he wants the board to have more contact with the emergency management director and wants the whole town to be more involved with the Northern Berkshire Emergency Management.

 

He said he was initially concerned after the town administrator sent out a notice that he planned to use the Memorial Building as an emergency shelter during the recent storm.

 

"I told him that as an individual on the board who is heavily involved in emergency management ... that I would not be responding to anything in Memorial School because I have had no contact with the emergency management director," he said. "This is an ongoing issue ... because we are just a part of it but there are some major issues with the emergency management agency in Adams."

 

He added that he did not believe the former middle school was compliant as an emergency shelter either. 

 

The board members agreed to come to the next meeting with thoughts about trash hauler regulations.

 

The issue was taken up after it was found that some haulers were not permitted through the town, did not properly secure their loads and were driving unlabeled trucks.

 

The members agreed that they may want to mandate that haulers cover loads and carry their permit on them and agreed trucks need to be labeled.

 

"You see that vehicle out there and it has no sign," board member Allan Mendel said. "You don't know who it is and you can go back to the office and see if they have a permit."

 

Mendel, a longtime goard member and former chairman, has decided not to run for re-election so there is an open seat on the board.

 

"Allan thank you and we will be sorry to see you go," Shepley said.