To the editor:
On Monday, May 4, Saugus Town Meeting will take up Article 34, a measure tied to a proposed Host Community Agreement with WIN Waste Innovations. Although it is being presented as a “backup” or precautionary step in case expansion is allowed by the state, its practical effect is far more consequential than that framing suggests. By design, it will be submitted to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and incorporated into the state’s review process, where it can be interpreted as a sign of municipal acceptance. In other words, even without a binding force, the resolution helps construct a narrative of local support that can influence permitting decisions.
Incinerator ash is not ordinary waste. It is known to contain heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, and mercury, along with fine particulates that pose risks to air quality, water, and public health. Unfortunately, these risks cross municipal boundaries beyond Saugus, affecting other nearby communities such as Lynn and Saugus, which would not receive the economic benefits of an HCA.
The landfill itself is an unlined ash disposal site located within the Rumney Marsh Reservation, a designated Area of Critical Environmental Concern. Allowing the expansion would raise serious questions about the integrity of ACEC protections. If this can happen here, it risks weakening safeguards for sensitive environments across Massachusetts.
Calling Article 34 precautionary does not make it neutral. In practice, it advances a proposal with lasting environmental and statewide implications.
Sincerely,
Eliot Smith
Lynn
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