Saugus DPW super offers grease trap know-how to board

SAUGUS – The Board of Selectmen has had to keep restaurant owners on hold since November while they searched for an education on grease traps, but they found Tuesday that the perfect teacher had been right under its nose.Department of Public Works Superintendent Brendan O?Regan, hired in the fall, revealed at the board?s meeting that he had an extensive background in the waste management of fats, oils and grease output from his former employment as the director of public services and sewer superintendent.O?Regan said based on the method he used to tackle Newburyport?s grease trap output, it would take “several months to a year” to measure each establishment?s output of fats, oils and greases to calculate how much each establishment in town should be allotted, which would necessitate an inspector?s position to monitor the production. From there, said O?Regan, the town would form bylaws, like those in other communities, that reflected what kind of traps each establishment needed. “It?s not an easy solution,” he said. “It takes a lot of work, effort and some expense.”The board asked O?Regan and Director of Public Health Frank Giacalone to meet with the town?s plumbing, gas and sewer Inspector James Kennedy to devise a plan for the town?s grease trap regulations.O?Regan said in Newburyport, the establishments were able to decide what equipment they used, whether they were external, exterior or newer “alternative” models, as long as they stayed within their output restriction.Chairman Ellen Faiella said her concern was finding a solution to the board?s knowledge gap in grease traps that prevented them from making a ruling on the regulations. While the board continued to question whether a secondary trap in the basement was enough, restaurant owners were losing money in business and legal fees while they waited for compliance.Town Manager Scott Crabtree suggested to Faiella that the trio address the issues separately, first addressing the timely problem of the external grease trap options and then going about a plan for new regulations to which she and other board members wholeheartedly agreed.?We have no strength of knowledge in all of this,” said Faiella. “All we can do is the best we can do.”Selectman Maureen Dever said she was “so grateful” to O?Regan because the board, and the town, will finally have the expert advice needed to more forward.