Peabody stalls Crystal Lake cleanup bond

PEABODY – Mayor Michael Bonfanti has asked members of City Council to look further into the Crystal Lake cleanup plan before bonding for $1.5 million.”The request is premature,” he wrote in a letter to councilors. “The project scope and cost estimates still need to be identified before a bond is authorized.”Bonfanti went on to say that the amount was “predicated on an outside study conducted by an interest group and not by the city of Peabody.””It would be irresponsible for the city to bond for this amount without determining the total cost of the project,” Bonfanti wrote.In May 2006, the city voted to try out the biodredging project on a 5,000 square foot area of Crystal Lake because of its low cost and promise of good results. The process involved releasing bacteria into the area to literally eat away at the organic material responsible for the dense growth of plant life.The results were unimpressive to most, so the quest for a more effective solution continues.So far, the city has appropriated $25,000 of its own money and obtained two $400,000 grants from the state.After several lengthy discussions, the City Council voted two months ago to recommend bonding in the amount suggested to them by Friends of Peabody Lakes.Blair Haney, assistant director of Community Development, said he agrees with the mayor’s wish to slow things down.”We need to make sure the amount we bond for and the project we get ourselves involved in is fully funded,” he said. “The estimate was based on lots of assumptions.”Haney said that the $1.5 million suggestion was based off the idea of simply dumping the waste back into the woods behind Crystal Lake and Elginwood Pond. Although it seems like a simple solution, Haney said it doesn’t appear to be environmental friendly.”We’re trying to find the best and most cost effective approach,” he said.In his dredging hunt, Haney said he has found several options to get the job done, all of which having varying costs and benefits. The most expensive procedure would involve using a belt press, which squeezes out water from the sediment collected. The then-dry material would be shipped away.”The problem is, it’s very slow and very expensive,” he said. “However, it is one of the easiest.”The cheapest option thus far would involve putting the sludge into a basin and allowing gravity to do all the work.An alternative to that method requires the use of tubes, similar to a large sock, which allows water to drain out the sides. Haney said the problem with this, however, is the need for several acres of land to house the large “socks.””One thing I continue to relearn is it (the process) is incredibly complex, more so than I ever thought,” he said.Haney hopes to convey the true complexity of the project to city councilors yet again next month. In the meantime, he’ll continue working with consultants to gather as much information as possible.”We need to take the time to look at this and make sure what we choose is in the best interest of the community.”