Leverett Town Meeting April 27th 9:00 AM Please Vote!
I am writing to urge Leverett Citizens to partake in our 'little d' democracy this coming Saturday at the Town Meeting, Leverett Elementary School, 9AM

My environmental group CLEAN! (Citizens for Landfill Environmental Action Now!) has been working with the town for the past year to get an article on the Warrant to address the five homes in E. Leverett whose water has been contaminated by the chemical plume coming from the unlined landfill.

We believe it truly is time for the Town to take positive action and relieve the daily suffering, inconvenience, and property devaluation that the contamination has caused. There are some families who have been mandated by the Department of Environmental Protection to get bottled water for 10 years. Others have tried to sell due to illness but were unable to because of the water. We cannot access the nest egg we thought our homes would provide us.

We are urging people to vote YES to all 3 options on Article 16.
1) Appropriate funds to connect a water line to Amherst ($2 million plus; possible grant
money)
2) Fund a hydrogeologist study of local water sources ($150,000)
3) Appropriate $20,000 to hire an appraiser to assess fair market value and have the
town purchase homes as they come up for sale.
We are urging yes votes so that as the best possible solution presents itself, the town can then act. We need the numbers to get 2/3 majority votes. Every vote counts.

Please understand that the implications of hidden poisons in our water are far reaching and affect out daily lives and our future. The bottled water jugs weigh 40 lbs and handling them is getting too cumbersome for people as they age. As things deteriorate we are less or unable to access the equity in our homes that we have carefully built.
This is certainly not an exciting or fun expenditure such as broadband or funds for a library but we all need to realize that trash doesn't just disappear once it is thrown away.
Thank you and I hope to see you at Town Meeting!