Yes, we’re still homeschooling our twelve-year old daughter, Bel. Well, we’ve actually changed it to “unschooling.” Because – ahem – it is her father at the helm and he’s prone to extended fits of immaturity and a keen pursuit of a very loosely defined set of “dreams.”
Yeah, that’s me. And it’s a moving target. Daily.
But last Wednesday’s “lesson” involved public engagement. Specifically, it was about attending a public meeting regarding the re-licensing of the Worcester Transfer Station. It’s a public meeting that yours truly requested – imagine that — because the facility is located on the banks of the North Branch of the Winooski River. It’s a most-treasured water resource because – most importantly – it is the entire western boundary of our farm.
So we read – the kid and I. No, not more Don Quixote. But, rather, the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources’ rules governing such facilities. And we made a plan as we marked it up, researching before embarking on a trip to the actual site to investigate.
We found what we felt were several violations. The first involved the lack of a “locked gate” during non-operational hours, which, in this case, means every hour in every week except 7:30 to 1:00 on Saturdays. Our visit, in the middle hours of the middle of the week (aka: “non-operational hours”), was “welcomed” with a very unlocked gate.
“I’m going back for the camera,” Bel informed me in a scholastic-style tone that has been largely missing in our adventures in homeschooling.
And so she did, thus documenting the first violation. (See photo below)
Next, we measured the distances from the facility to the banks of the North Branch River. The regulations state that the facility must be at least 100 feet from the banks of a river or stream. We measured 38 feet. Violation number two.
We also found some more subjective violations, things like Chapter 6, section 503, which states: “Facilities shall be located [in a manner that has] the least possible reasonable impact on the environment.”
38 feet from the banks of the North Branch River certainly seems to fail that test.
Bel typed up a statement and I jotted down some notes before the meeting. We weren’t expecting anyone else to show up, which explains our shock when the lot around the Worcester Town Hall was full – all ten-car capacity and all.
It’s odd, but true: People are protective of their transfer stations. Who knew? Certainly not me.
Interspersed in the testimonials of how great the facility is, including a statement from a very proud man “who built it 30 years ago,” were our comments. Bel went first, confusing the gentlemen from the state at first as she approached the table and deposited a copy of her statement and the accompanying photos. Here’s a taste of her statement:
In the Vermont Solid Waste Management Rules (Section 6-1204 — Design Standards, on page 2, section b), it states, “Facilities shall be designed to provide for all weather access, with access controlled and limited to hours of operation identified in the facility management plan.” Today, May 12th at approximately 2:00 p.m. – at a time when the facility is not operational – I visited the facility and took these pictures that show that the gates are open and no one is working inside the area. This is regularly the case.
She finished. Walked back to chair. And then heard the man from the state say, “Guilty. You’re absolutely correct. The facility was unlocked when we visited it before the meeting. Would you like an internship with the agency?”
Cool.
I, however, didn’t get an internship offer. Nope, because my evidence regarding the distances to the river were deemed inadmissible since the facility was built before the Agency’s 1997 rules governing the distances between transfer stations and open waterways were adopted.
In other words, the facility is out of compliance with the modern environmental rules but since it was out of compliance long enough it can remain out of compliance. Got that?
Silly me, I thought environmental rules meant something. Not.
Or maybe I’m just pissed that I didn’t get an internship offer.
But all I really wanted to say was: Nice job, Bel. Speaking up is what it’s all about.
I want to go to your school!
Good for her. Now, let her do this blog and we’ll have some action here.