Kingston salvage yard is shut down

Tag : discharge agent

KINGSTON — The New Hampshire Department of EnvironmentalServices (DES) recently issued administrative orders to ASAP AutoSalvage located on Granite Road in Kingston to cease operations andclean up.
According to a report from DES, the operator of the facility,Kenneth Chapman, and the property owner, Russell Thomas, are citedfor multiple environmental violations at the site, including thedischarge of oil into the ground and failure to properly handle andstore regulated substances including oil and gasoline. Otherviolations alleged are open burning of prohibited materials,operating a solid waste facility without a required state permit,unlawful dumping of construction and demolition material, improperstorage and management of scrap tires, and failure to perform aninvestigation on the property to identify the nature and extent ofcontamination due to the discharge of oil.
The reports state the enforcement action requires all facilityoperations to cease immediately. It further requires the removal ofall junk motor vehicles, scrap tires, construction and demolitiondebris, and petroleum-contaminated soil from a facility permittedto accept the wastes. In addition, the enforcement action requiresThomas to provide a plan for assessing the site contamination dueto the release of petroleum on the property.
According to Kingston Fire Chief Bill Seaman, the fire departmenthas repeatedly responded to outside fires on the property wherecars, tires, campers and construction debris were burned.
"My greatest concern has been the safety of my responders to thislocation for non-permitted, intentionally set fires," said Seaman."Every time I put a fire truck on the road, there are as many as 10families put at risk; the firefighters could potentially get hurtor worse, fatally injured."
Health officer Laurence Middlemiss said the site was never approvedby the Kingston Planning Board for the operation of a junkyard andThomas, the owner, did not receive a junkyard license from thetown. Middlemiss added that there is ground contamination from thissite.
Road agent Rich St. Hilaire said as captain of Kingston's FireDepartment his greatest concern is also the number of fire calls tothe property. In the last three to four years he said the firedepartment has responded at least a dozen fires. He went on to saythat there are a number of improperly stored containers of oil andantifreeze on the property, which makes the situation particularlyworrisome.
The town has ordered the owner to cease operations immediately andclean up the property. The owner did not comply with the town'sorders and so the town took immediate action and filed an emergencyinjunction. There will be a court hearing on July 23 at RockinghamSuperior Court at 9 a.m. Town officials want the operation closedand the area cleaned up immediately.
"New Hampshire's groundwater, air and soil are precious resourcesthat must be protected," DES Commissioner Thomas Burack saidfollowing issuance of the orders. "Although many auto salvage yardsin New Hampshire are doing a good job of protecting ourenvironment, there are a number of other yards that are not. DESwill continue to pursue violations of environmental laws at autosalvage facilities that endanger public health and theenvironment."
Owner Russell Thomas was not available for comment.