2003 Dirty Dozen Awards


Saugus.net braved the snow (shown still falling in the picture below) to visit Vitale Park and attend the presentation of one of the 2003 "Dirty Dozen" awards to RESCO. These are annual awards "honoring" threats to the public health in New England (as selected by the Toxics Action Center).


Joan LeBlanc (Executive Director of the Saugus River Watershed Council), Debra Panetta (Town Meeting member, precinct 5, Tree Committee member, Current SAVE President) Joan LeBlanc (Executive Director of the Saugus River Watershed Council), Ann Devlin (Town Meeting member, precinct 1, Tree Committee member, Past SAVE President, currently on the Board of Directors), Michael Serino (Saugus Selectman), Fae Saulenas (Saugus Town Meeting member, precinct 10)

RESCO was chosen due to its persistent efforts to add a third burner and increase the height of their landfill from 50 to 90 feet, all within the Rumney Marsh ACEC.

Speakers cited the negative impact increasing RESCO's capacity would have on local recycling, the impact the incinerator already has on its neighbors, and of course the elevated cancer rates in Saugus, Revere, and Lynn (as tracked by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health).