Letter: Williamstown Dealing in Toxic Sludge to Save Money? Madness

To the Editor:

While Williamstown builds a $20 million fire station, Bob Menicocci and the Finance Committee expect us to be up in arms about $500,000 to deal with a very real environmental problem in a responsible fashion — toxic sludge.

Waste water treatment in Williamstown yields effluent (discharged to the Hoosic River where there is a PFAS advisory on fish from the Mass Department of Health) and sludge — a concentrated byproduct. The proposal before us is to start taking toxic sludge from other towns because the town wants to lower costs and we have the capacity.

But what is the trade-off? The trade-off is increased liability for Williamstown who would become a producer/source of toxic waste spread on New York agricultural fields (that is, our food and water) and environmental contamination. As the country scrambles to find ways to filter PFAS from our drinking water, given that it causes cancer, Williamstown wants to sign on to spreading more of the chemical around? Madness. It's a terrible idea. We should tell Casella "No" at the Select Board meeting April 14, Town Hall, 31 North St. at 7 p.m.

We can't on the one hand say: PFAS "forever chemicals" cause intractable harm to humans, ecosystems and animals, but then also say, let's put them into our food at varying levels depending on any given state legislature. Maine and Connecticut have banned the land application of PFAS chemicals; Vermont is extremely stringent; they have the right idea! Because various New England farms have been contaminated, Casella seeks to send the product to New York, essentially taking advantage of regulatory lag time. Lawmakers haven't banned it there yet. We should not be a partner in this kind of short-term exploitation.

Williamstown has it's own PFAS problem. The Hoosac Water Quality District has not explained the planned testing protocol for incoming sludge: What is the type and frequency of testing? PFAS bioaccumulates in the environment and our bloodstream. Yet, they talk of expansion. With a PFAS advisory on the Hoosic, apparently our method is leading to contamination, which doesn't make me want to say: Let's scale up! Harmful heavy metals also exist in the sludge and effluent. Human waste is a bad fertilizer in general. Too much junkfood and pharmaceuticals. Now, Williamstown wants to go into the toxic sludge business to save $500,000? Madness.

Todd Fiorentino
Williamstown, Mass.

Williamstown Fire District Dedicates New Station

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
06:37AM / Sunday, May 31, 2026

Chief Jeffrey Dias recognizes firefighter Alexandra Riggs, who will graduate from Williams College next week. See more photos here.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Massachusetts fire marshal came to town Saturday to congratulate the local Fire District and the taxpayers of Williamstown for the "amazing" station they have built on Main Street.

 

"I travel around the state, and I've seen hundreds of firehouses around the state — some great, some not so great," Fire Marshal Jon Davine told a crowd gathered outside the station for its dedication. "And I think we saw what the previous station here was in Williamstown. I'll tell you, especially in Western Massachusetts, we have a really big problem with deteriorating firehouses throughout Western Mass. These buildings are collapsing around our firefighters.

 

"And, as the marshal, it's my job to advocate for the departments for more funding. We've been working with our state reps and local reps and the fire chiefs association, trying to come up with different funding streams, so that we can help these departments build new stations, do better, safer stations, so that they have the equipment and the building they deserve to do their job safely."

 

The chair of the Prudential Committee, which governs the Fire District, and the chief of the department both thanked Williamstown residents for the 2023 special district meeting vote that paved the way for the station that went into operation earlier this year.

 

"It's an honor and a privilege to join you today as we celebrate this grand opening of the new firehouse," Chief Jeffrey Dias said. "This facility is so much more than a building that houses fire trucks. It stands as a symbol of our community's commitment to safety, preparedness and public service. It's a place where our members will maintain our equipment. They will learn about our craft. They'll share meals and, yes, from time to time, they're going to share sorrow.

 

"This isn't a fire station. This is a firehouse. And people have heard me say this a million times already. And it houses the very best second family that one could imagine."

 

Dias was joined at the podium set up in the parking lot for the noon ceremony by Prudential Committee Chair David Moresi, state Rep. John Barrett III and the the Rev. William F. Cyr, who gave an invocation.