Lumber Dumping

by Bob Rauseo
BobOtter@aol.comEditor’s Note:
Below is the cumulated records of an ongoing problem the Shawsheen River has had with the widening of Route 3, which for us has meant an incredible abundance of free finished lumber, more than any of us would have any idea how to use. As you will note in the following text, May 21st and 22nd were far from the happiest and most tranquil days of Bob Rauseo’s life.

As an aside, and by way of explaining some of Bob’s exasperation about this lumber dumping, it should be mentioned that finished lumber is the bane of any small river like the Shawsheen. This is more than an aesthetic issue. Finished lumber does not degrade nearly as fast as unfinished wood, and the obstructions to flow caused by finished lumber are the closest thing to permanent that any obstruction can be. Finished lumber is frequently — if not usually — treated to withstand subjection to water, and the stuff it’s treated with is hardly non-toxic. It’s bad stuff and shouldn’t be in the river at all.

As of the writing of this issue of the Shawsheen Trib, we are still finding finished lumber from the widening of Route 3 in the river. In fact, we are finding it as far as four miles downstream. There seems to be no end in sight.

May 21, 2003Hello:

The Shawsheen River needs your immediate help.

I paddled on the Shawsheen River under Route 3 on Saturday, May 17, 2003, at about 11 AM. Here is what I found in the bends of the river immediately downstream from the bridge.
- more than 100 pieces of freshly cut lumber.
- this wood had no nails, drills holes, or any other signs of ever having been part of any construction. It appeared to be the extra pieces of lumber that had been cut off longer boards.
- many of the pieces were sections of 2x6 or 2x8 framing lumber; most were between 3 and four feet long.
- there was at least one wooden sawhorse and three wooden ladders.
- there were other pieces of 2x4, 4x4, and other size lumber.
- one bend in the river was completely clogged with floating lumber, necessitating a portage to get around the blockage.
- several pieces had broken free and were floating further downstream.
- there were also pieces of blue foam insulating board floating in the river.

I went back to the site today by canoe and took some pictures. It was worse than I remembered. I am beyond livid that this callous disregard for a beautiful natural resource could happen.

This needs to be cleaned up immediately. Heavy rain is in the forecast for the weekend. If this mess is not removed by then, high water and fast current will likely break the logjam apart and the pieces will flow downstream, replacing a concentrated eyesore with a widespread path of ugly debris.

I also think that we need further consequences. I suggest:

1. The culpable party (CP) should be identified and asked to accept full responsibility.
2. The CP should pay fines to the maximum amount allowed in current law.
3. The CP should issue a public apology.
4. A report written by a state agency should be placed on permanent record so that any agency have future dealings with CP will be aware of this behavior.

If you are in a position to address this disgrace, please help. It seems very important to me that this mess be resolved before the rains come this weekend. I can email you the pictures if you want to see them. They are in a BMP format and took me about 10 minutes to attach to an earlier email. If that method won't work, please contact me and we will work something out.

Thank you.,

Bob Rauseo
SRWA President
978-851-9505
682 Chandler Street
Tewksbury, MA 01876May 22, 2003

Hello:

I paddled to the dumped lumber site today (Thursday), at about 1 PM. Three workers from the Route 3 bridge construction crew were pulling the lumber out of the river and piling it on the banks. One guy was in the water six inches above the top of his chest-high waders. He was quite wet and cold. They assured me that no worker from the construction site had thrown the lumber into the river; that it must have been done as a prank by vandals. They were good guys doing a good job; I have no reason to doubt them. I explained that I was part of the reason they were there and helped them collect some of the wood. When I left they were carrying the lumber along the river bank back to the bridge. There was a lot of lumber!

So here's where we stand:

- The culpable party (CP) is still unknown.
- The crew from the bridge construction has taken on the responsibility for removing the lumber and has collected most of it.
- There are few loose pieces of lumber which will be picked up later by SRWA people or others.
- Any further consequences for the still unknown CP are on hold.

Thank you to all who played a part in the fast response and resolution of this problem. Special thanks to the guy who went in the river above his waders. He literally went above and beyond the call of duty. The immediate crisis has been resolved; SRWA will continue to do its work clearing trash from the river.

Bob RauseoMay 22, 2003

Hello:

Here is an update that was forwarded to me. I am sending it BCC to people who responded to the initial email. I will keep an eye on the situation and report to the entire list if and when the debris is removed.

Bob Rauseo

For Use in Intra-Agency Policy Deliberations

I'm the Route 3 North project manager and am aware of this issue. I have already notified Modern Continental to remove all lumber from the river banks immediately. If you have any questions, please see me. By the way, the other agencies (EPA and USACE) are also aware of the situation and have been apprised of DEP's action. The Environmental Monitor for the project and the Town of Bedford are also in the loop. As bad as it sounds, it is not a serious enforcement issue. We don't plan on taking any further action at this time, assuming that the contractor responds quickly.

Rachel Freed
Environmental Analyst
Division of Wetlands and Waterways
Dept. of Environmental Protection
978/661-7783May 22, 2003

Hello Bill:

Thanks for forwarding me this message. It is good to hear the people are saying something will be done; we will continue to monitor the situation to make sure that the mess is cleaned up.

I find the following statement infuriating:

<< As bad as it sounds, it is not a serious enforcement issue. We don't plan on taking any further action at this time, assuming that the contractor responds quickly. >>

I would suggest to Modern Continental that after they clean up the debris they might dump in the DEP's parking lot and ask how serious it is then! If the only consequence is to clean up when you get caught, where is the incentive to stop?

Bob RauseoJune 6, 2003

Here is my most recent update.

I paddled to the site on Thursday, June 5, at about 10 AM. The crew that I met on 5/23 had done a good job removing the largest jam, which contained more than 100 pieces of wood. They did the best they could working from shore and wading in the water. However, they could not and did not reach all the wood. I estimate that between 50 and 100 pieces of wood remain; now scattered along the river from Route 3 downstream for more than one half mile. Some of the pieces are sixteen feet long. The only way to collect this debris now is with boats. There is enough wood to fill three or four large canoes, perhaps more. The wood could then be paddled upstream to the construction site or downstream to Middlesex Turnpike; where it could be loaded into trucks for disposal. Four canoes, eight people, four hours minimum. This is a much bigger task then I had originally mentioned in an email update on 5/22.

We could use some help! Any helpers out there?

Sincerely,
Bob Rauseo