Marsh Cleanup to Cost City in Excess of $250,000
The City of Woonsocket, under pressure from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM), has agreed to remediate a marsh off Founders Drive at a cost of more than $250,000, WoonsocketCall.com reported.
The city will remove several thousand cubic yards of silt that eroded into the marsh when a large storm drain collapsed about two years ago.
Four companies responded to a public solicitation for bids. The winning bid, $246,000, was placed by Great Meadow Farm in Rowley, Mass.
In addition, the city will need to rent a heavy-duty screening device to be used to separate stones and organic matter from the estimated 80,000 cu. ft. of silt that has fouled the marsh. The equipment will be leased for $7,000 a month from Eastern Equipment Sales Inc.
Although the wetlands is only about a half-acre in size, DEM considers the wetlands a significant habitat for living creatures and an important part of the city’s natural storm water drainage network. The agency is growing impatient with the pace of reparations to the damaged resource and is threatening to levy fines against the city if the work is not done by this summer, said Deputy Public Works Director Michael DelRossi.
The silt eroded into the wetlands when a length of storm water drainpipe, 4 feet in diameter, collapsed behind the CVS distribution facility at 400 Founders Drive about two years ago, WoonsocketCall.com reported.
CVS has kicked in $100,000 for the initial repairs, but DelRossi says the entire cost of the planned wetlands restoration project is the city’s to bear.
Source: WoonsocketCall.com