Letters to the Editor
ABC Metals
Gilbert Rhoades, operator of the unlicensed salvage yard ABC Metals, stated to the Select Board in the open forum last week that the salvage yard law should be enforced equally for everyone. He was asking the board to investigate his complaints that he has against other local businesses.
He said, “I have an issue with the way this town has enforced the laws and regulations. The regulations are supposed to apply to all people equally.”
On this point, I wholeheartedly agree.
All scrap yards in the town and in Vermont should be held to the same standard.
Mr. Rhoades should have been held to the same standard of the other junkyards in this state. State law requires that all salvage yard operators have both a town permit and state license in order to operate. Mr. Rhoades has neither; in fact, he has not had a license since 2001, when he chose to allow it to lapse.
As reported recently by The Milton Independent, EPA testing did reveal arsenic in the well at the salvage yard site at four times the VT Groundwater Enforcement Standard.
Additional testing revealed arsenic at six times the VT Groundwater Enforcement Standard. In addition, EPA testing showed that the lead in the soil at a sample site at the scrap yard was 3,300 parts per million which is over four times higher than the EPA Guidelines for industrial sites.
However, even if there were no contamination on or off site, the fact remains that Mr. Rhoades does not have a town permit or state license, and is therefore operating in violation of the law. In addition, he has no storm water permit, and no solid waste permit allowing him to store the estimated 200,000 or more tires that he has on site.
Salvage yards are a necessary part of any community, and as Steve Dragosljvich said in his letter to the editor in last week’s issue of the Milton Independent, “….junk cars and other scrap metal will continue to be generated even if Rhoades Salvage is no longer in business.”
Fortunately, there are legally operating salvage yards in the area to handle the needs of our community.
It is time to enforce the laws equally-if you don’t have a driver’s license, you cannot drive, and if you don’t have a salvage yard license, according to state law, you cannot operate a junkyard.
Neal Caldwell
MHS Senior Parents
Every year Milton parents volunteer with fundraising and donations to provide a safe, fun and memorable night for our graduating Seniors. We have a great core of parents heading up different committees but we need help. If you can donate a couple of hours a month or money or even food to help stock our basketball concessions please contact either Shelly Hitchcox (893-3675) or Betty Gilbert (893-2110) or join us for our monthly meeting held the second Monday of the month in the High School library at 7 p.m. Junior parents are encouraged to join us to learn the ropes for next year.
Shelly Hitchcox
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