Richard Chalpin Gloucester Drinking Water 090109

September 1, 2009

Richard Chalpin, Regional Director Northeast Region, Wilmington Department of Environmental Protection 205B Lowell Street Wilmington, MA 01887 Dear Mr. Chalpin, We are writing to you in reference to the drinking water situation in Gloucester, Massachusetts. First, let us thank you for your continued involvement and all of your oversight, monitoring, planning and activities with respect to the critical issues surrounding the provision of safe drinking water and the maintenance of adequate supplies of water in the City of Gloucester. In that same vein, we appreciate the ongoing dialogue that we have had with you regarding these issues and state involvement in them for the past week, especially in the past several days. Given the spirit of collaboration that has characterized our relationship, we would like to make two specific requests that are time sensitive in nature and important to the citizens that we represent, many of whom have contacted our offices within the past 24 hours. Chief among our requests is that the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) maintain and intensify its ongoing efforts to ensure that the actions taken by the City and those with whom it has contracted to provide safe water are done in accordance with the best scientific and management approaches available. In addition, we believe it to be imperative that actions be undertaken in a timely way and one in which DEP is involved at each step. Given the vast experience and expertise of the DEP with situations such as the one Gloucester is facing, we believe that partnership in addressing the current crisis is the only path to successful resolution of the issues being faced with regard to drinking water. More specifically, we request direct DEP involvement when corrective measures are designed and developed and

when implemented. While restoring safe drinking water is clearly our first priority, we also strongly believe that accountability and transparency must be attached to this entire situation. Thus, we are also requesting that the DEP conduct a full review of the circumstances leading to the problems which have ensued and all actions taken to address them. In particular, we have been contacted by many constituents and local elected officials seeking a reconciliation of various time lines delineating the actions taken by all state and municipal agencies and contractors in response to the issues of contamination and adequacy of supply of water in the City of Gloucester. Thank you for all of your cooperative efforts and continuing partnership in ensuring the safety and health of our residents. Please do not hesitate to contact us if we may be of any further assistance or provide you with any additional information. We look forward to working with you to resolve these important issues. Sincerely,

Bruce Tarr State Senator

Ann-Margaret Ferrante State Representative