As you may know, there has been a release of more than one million disks (currently estimated at between four and eight million) from a Hooksett, N.H. sewer plant into the Merrimack River. More than 200,000 of these disks have already been recovered. As the media reporting of this accident has been all over the place, here are the facts as we know them:
1. The disks do contain small amounts of human waste bacteria. However, they are not dangerous to handle with minor precautions.
2. Bacteria levels on disks found on the beaches will be lower than those along the banks of the Merrimack River as they have had more exposure to water and the sun.
3. As of this morning, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is treating the release of these disks more as a litter issue than one of environmental contaminants.
4. The Massachusetts Department Public Health (DPH) has stated that the bacteria levels found on tested disks are low, and their position is that it is not necessary to close beaches.
5. Clean-up is the number one priority. After that, we can negotiate whether the town of Hooksett pays the entire bill.
That said, and we don’t seek to minimize the impact of the accident, clean-up continues. If the weather tomorrow is spring-like as predicted, don’t be alarmed if you come across these disks. You can ignore them, or you can dispose of them yourself as long as you’re wearing gloves and wash your hands afterward.
We’ll be sure to keep you updated as the clean-up progresses.
How in the world did they release all those discs? These discs are actually a great idea. They allow a sewage treatment plant to process more sewage without expanding the physical plant. But they aren't supposed to leave the plant!
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