ADAMS, Mass. — The Board of Health is working to address a bush pile at the town's treatment plant that has been a deferred problem and has now become a health concern.

 

Board member Caroline Ann Scully said Department of Public Works Operations Supervisor Tristan Frieri asked the town for funding to hire a company to use a barrel chipper, process all of the woody debris, and haul it away, 

 

Frieri started as operations supervisor on April 13, 2026. 

 

"It's pretty big. I mean, it has trees growing on it," Scully said…"The leaves and [woody debris] at the transfer station gets brought by the DPW to the huge pile at the water treatment plant, and there's no plan for it, and nothing is done with any of it, as I understand it, and they know it's an issue." 

 

The town went through a bidding process, chose the company, but was subsequently denied the funding by the Select Board for three years in a row, Scully said. 

 

"The other issue, of course, is that we don't have much money, and [the pile] hasn't been a priority," she said. 

 

Every year, the town holds a public leaf pickup through November, and residents with an annual permit for the Transfer Station can take yard waste to the Transfer Station during operating hours. 

 

According to Northern Berkshire Solid Waste Program Director Linda Cernik many towns do not collect woody debris or leaves from residents, Scully said. 

 

"I don't know if that's widespread that they don't, because it would be a pretty big change for Adams residents if we didn't," she said. 

 

"So that's something the town needs to figure out. Like if we can't come up with a sustainable way of doing it, then we need to figure out if we can do it."

 

State environmental officials informed the town that it cannot burn the brush pile because it could impact air quality and cause a public health risks, board members said. 

 

"If they want to talk about burning it, they have to call the [state Department of Environmental Protection, and they would have to go through a process of explaining why that's the only option they have, which I don't think it probably is," she said. 

 

The Western Massachusetts Department of Public Works said there are other disposal options to address the pile, Scully said. 

 

The town's DPW does not plan on burning the brush. Burning was a practice that ended after former board members sent the town a cease-and-desist letter informing officials that brush could not be burned on top of sewage sludge, following correspondence with the DEP, she said. 

 

"I haven't seen that letter, and I would just kind of like to see it. It makes sense. I can't get reference to that on the website because the records only go back to 2019," she said. It is believed the letter was sent in December 2017. 

 

According to Cernik, the town should have received $25,000 through a funding program she applied for, which is believed to be tied to recycling credits, Scully said. 

 

"It's not clear who knows about that money…and it's important because that $25,000 could be used to take care of the pile, and then of course we need to come up with a plan for what to do with it in the future," she said. 

 

Cernik applies for this funding every year for towns part of the Northern Berkshire Solid Waste Program, Scully said. 

 

According to Cernik the funding is not intended for operational expenses, but rather for special purchases. However, the requirements for how the funds can be spent have changed this year, which should allow the town to use the money to hire a company with a barrel chipper to address the brush pile, Scully said. 

 

The board plans to correspond with the Town Administrator Nicholas Caccamo to find the funds and will work on obtaining information about what other towns do.