HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-8-22BOH Minutes for August 22, 2019, adopted Sept. 19
BOARD OF HEALTH
Meeting
Town of Nantucket
3 East Chestnut Street
Nantucket, Massachusetts 02554
"AN 1 Jt ' i
2019 SE? „0 PM 2: 5 I
www.nantucket-ma.gov
Commissioners: Stephen Visco (chair), Malcolm MacNab, MD, PHD (Vice chair), James Cooper, Helene Weld, RN, Rita Higgins
Staff.• Roberto Santamaria, Artell Crowley, Kathy LaFavre John Hedden Anne Barrett, Hank Ross
-- MINUTES --
Thursday, August 22, 2019
4 Fairgrounds Road, Community Room - 4:00 pm
Called to order at 4:01 p.m.
Staff in attendance: R. Santamaria, Health Director; A. Crowley, Assistant Health Director; J. Hedden, Inspector;
T. Norton, Town Minutes Taker
Attending Members: Stephen Visco; Malcolm MacNab, MD, PHD; James Cooper; Rita Higgins, Select Board
Absent Members: Helene Weld, RN
Agenda adopted by unanimous consent
II. PUBLIC COMMENTS - ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC MAY ADDRESS COMMISSIONERS AT THIS TIME
1. Introduced John Hedden, Inspector.
2. Hank Ross completes his summer duties next Friday, August 30.
3. This summer has been heavy with housing complaints. He will have numbers at the next meeting.
4. We have a new inspection vehicle, a Ford Ranger.
APPROVAL OF
1. July 18, 2019: Motion to Approve. (made by: MacNab) (seconded by: Cooper) Carried unanimously
BOH APPLICATIONSREVIEW
1. Loan Request: Marsh, 34 Friendship Lane (68-467)
Sitting Visco, MacNab, Cooper, Higgins
Documentation Supporting documents and plans, staff recommendations.
Discussion Santamaria - This request is to abandon the existing septic and connect to Town sewer. He is
talking to Finance about putting another $2M on the warrant for the loan program. We will see a
lot of requests as the Shimmo/Plus sewer comes on line.
Action Motion to Approve. (made by: MacNab) (seconded by: Cooper)
Vote Carried unanimously
2. Loan Release: Louis B. Ames, Trustee, 113 Wauwinet Road (12-45) - I/A installed, CofC issued & O&M active
Sitting Visco, MacNab, Cooper, Higgins
Documentation Supporting documents and plans, staff recommendations.
Discussion Santamaria - Work is complete with the Operations & Maintenance contract active
Action Motion to Approve. (made by: Higgins) (seconded by: MacNab)
Vote Carried unanimously
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BOH :Minutes for _august 22, 2019, adopted Sept. 19
3. ACO Release: 20 Meadow View Drive (56-141 — connection to municipal sewer complete
Sitting Visco, MacNab, Cooper, Higgins
Documentation Supporting documents and plans, staff recommendations.
Discussion Santamaria — Work is complete; no objections.
Action Motion to Approve. (made by: MacNab) (seconded by: Higgins)
Vote Carried unanimously
N1. B01 I B1 �SINESS
1. Numbers for Lyme and all communicable diseases:
Santamaria — Report is in the packet. Of all reportable diseases 71% are Lyme; 17% are babesiosis. Tick-borne
disease is the biggest issue. He worked with the Town Manager to produce a new flyer and are putting it out for
the public. Over the last 10 years, we have seen a spike of Lyme disease; conversely, the actual incident numbers
are in decline. He attributes that to education. The genetic mice program has gotten a lot of national attention; an
unanticipated consequence is a lot of education about Lyme disease is getting out there. Even though our actual
incident numbers are low, our percentage is high because of our relatively low population. We are comfortable the
drop isn't a result of lack of reporting; the hospital has a dedicated person to input information from affiliated
doctors. Of the three non-affiliated doctors, one is very good at providing numbers; we are working on the other
two.
We are speaking with our representative to get local control on pesticide and herbicide as well as getting a waiver
to extend the rifle deer hunting season. Reviewed the deer meat donation program.
The more the tick-borne disease numbers drop, the less we need the genetically modified mice project; Dr. Ruth
Faden will be on Island to talk about it; it's a balance when we want to call it off or continue with the project Dr.
Faden is concerned about the bio -ethics of this project; that is being reviewed.
Higgins — Thinks the bio -engineering program would be good to have on the agenda regularly to get updates and
keep discussing.
MacNab — He got a draft paper from the University of Ohio showing the evolutionary concerns with Genetic
Engineering.
Santamaria — There is a lot of interest from the medical and ethical standpoint That's one reason Kevin Esvelt,
PhD, wants to test on an uninhabited Island.
Our next illness down from tick-borne is Hepatitis B; we're almost half the State average. Anaplasmosis is almost
1/3' or even 1/5,h of the State. Influenza is number 5, which is less than the State. We're looking pretty good on
the Campylobacteria, which is an opportunistic illness that comes in through the hospital; the numbers are level
for us while going up across the country. Explained the Island numbers reflect as a spike if there is only one case
due to our low population. It would be great if there were a national registry of infectious diseases to track trends.
2. Marijuana Regulations, discussion:
MacNab — Cannabis advisory Committee (CAC) has been asked by the Select Board to comment on the
regulations; the CAC is asking the BOH to comment on the regulations. His comment is: it mentions under
criteria for license that they have to have permits and meet conditions for health care.
Santamaria — The only issue is cannabis infused foods don't fall under our regulations. Fortunately, only
on
cannabis retailer has agreed to pull commercial kitchen food permits, which they don't have to do; the second
applicant for a cannabis retail license has also agreed. We have to take it on faith that what the retailer' reporting
is actually what they are selling; they can do their own testing because we have a variance as an Island
MacNab — He has grave concerns about that variance. Feels that we have to seriously look at this once he has all
his information compiled. He'd be more comfortable if there was an established protocol and exterior review.
Santamaria — A third party should be doing the testing.
3. Well Regulations — update on compliance, public outreach, etc.:
Santamaria — Since the establishment of the regulation, we've been accumulation data. One example of what
we've learned from that data, Tom Nevers isn't as affected as other areas within the watershed; he's looking at an
appendix to the regulation to cover Tom Nevers. He's also looking into how we fair regarding the rest of the
Island. We've learned that we are not in bad shape, but we do have a significant number of exceedances in
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BOH Minutes for August 22, 2019, adopted Sept. 19
parameters. About 75% of well heads in Madaket have too much salt; the water won't taste salty but people on a
low sodium diet should talk to their doctors. Same with Ph, Madaket has an exceedance of less than 6.5, neutral
water is 7.0. When it gets below 6.5, it starts eating away at metals. If higher than 8.5, you can get scaling on metal
pipes. Nitrate exceedance is 10 mg per liter; in Nantucket Harbor about 8% of the walls exceed that. He's working
on getting Hummock Pond area wells and septics tested. An area where it's more of a concern, homes are on
Town water along Hummock Pond Road. Copper exceedances at 1.3 mg per liter can be treated with carbon filter
systems; we have not seen any wells that high. When Chloroform comes back positive, it's often due to sampling
error; they are sent retest bottles; if those come back positive, it is those that included in the numbers. Iron can
also cause high Ph; it needs to get really high before it becomes a health concern. There are explanations in the
packet on what each one means.
Emily Molden, Nantucket Land Council — Asked if there is any sense how deep the wells are where there are
high nitrate levels.
Santamaria — We don't have that information, but we know Madaket wells tend to be shallower.
Cooper — In Tom Nevers, they hit water about 40 feet down. In Polpis you can go down 100 feet or more before
you hit water.
Molden — Suggested looking at changes in the nitrate exceedance levels and where they are.
Santamaria — When we see a nitrate exceedance, one thing we tell them is to consider a filter or move the pump.
Because of sea -level rise, sometimes the layer from which water is pulled is moving. There are approximately 6000
wells on the Island, but not all are for drinking water. Once you have the data, you can start working on the
problems; we finally have that data. Our first step is to get in touch with caretakers from the companies to
individuals, to let them know there is a regulation that requires water and septic testing.
Cooper — Suggested an ad in the paper to reach out to the caretakers/property management.
Santamaria — He'll work with the outreach coordinator about getting an ad in the paper. He and Jeff Carlson are
in constant communication; we work hand-in-hand on work in wetland buffers and bio -retention for runoff.
4. Board updates & concerns:
a. Santamaria — He's been very pleased with the interns he's had from the High School; their level of work is
comparable to that of college students.
b. Higgins — Asked if the harbor regulations are going to be changed.
Santamaria — Yes, Graeme Durovich at the Department of Public Works (DPW) is looking to do those. This
is a Select Board regulation but we're looking at how to streamline the process. They were put in after the bio-
degradable regulations; at that time the Select Board was the BOH, Board of Public Works, and others. The
BOH would see it for comments.
c. Visco — Asked about SMAST.
Santamaria — We sent another message out; haven't heard anything. It's very frustrating working with a group
that has a proprietary hold on the software. The delays are ridiculous to the point of seriously considering
pursuing end the contract. If they exceed the deadline, Town Counsel would contact them.
VI. ADJOURN
_1djourncd by unanimous consent at 5:07 p.m.
Submitted by:
Terry L. Norton
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