[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6191644,"mediaKeyId","4555246-b1762843b57b2ecf16f1e260d14df06a","parentId",4555246,"title","Health staff warn board of repeated food‑safety violations at local store; inspectors consider suspension","audioSeconds",57,"startMs",3183000,"endMs",3240000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=4555246-b1762843b57b2ecf16f1e260d14df06a&start=3183&end=3240","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/4555246-b1762843b57b2ecf16f1e260d14df06a/thumbnail_3183000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6191644/Gardner-City/Worcester-County/Massachusetts/Health-staff-warn-board-of-repeated-foodsafety-violations-at-local-store-inspectors-consider-suspension","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6191644-361b01c2d872654a150dcecde9ede537/orig.mp4?Expires=1775557360&Signature=epWqP8gW-a1IwV2xAZlM~MXAYMf0j5RwQBtGSahmdMOr0ZNmxJMPLgPhgvgYYWKby~1Ibrp9dc3B8RqJgz9LFuWEs8EwvuW99VuH~PfDRSTE7B6JZxWIC-6UQMqt6sH9adXZpqNruEEfbaW1jgIgjY3OBlAbpsqdAngRcIQ7Q-vaMC-u06YIqewJa9jh~hVo5-jD7dZ5XyVAk~OUWdZhkeGuoa0rWvmu-tCJAahj54kUnDdU4sRGinzPE6eg4F9WOMi000dh6G5H8iuY53rQVatNcj939b1TDzSf8GTTiHp-g-bFmdVF~CUYRU5si1witHUHfMJdeep6I53FBj1FRw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Gardner City, MA","date","2025-06-20T13:51:08Z","article","Health department inspectors told the Gardner Board of Health on June 16 that one local food establishment has repeated violations for expired food and dirty coolers and may face suspension if problems continue.

Angela, a food inspector with the health department, reported the establishment had expired foods found six times in the last two and a half years and dirty coolers on 10 occasions over the same period. The store has been inspected quarterly because of repeat noncompliance, Angela said. She described a pattern of enforcement actions: a $50 ticket in September 2023, a $100 ticket in May 2024 and $200 tickets on June 10, 2025; she said each of those tickets was issued twice for the related violations.

Angela told the board she pulled more than a grocery cart full of expired food on May 27 and again about half a cart on June 10. \"They don't seem to be taking the violations very seriously,\" she said, noting the store manager appears disengaged and that corporate compliance had been contacted but had not yet responded. A board member suggested conducting one more inspection before the next meeting; Angela supported that approach and said if the establishment remained noncompliant the board could move to suspend the food permit.

Board members discussed enforcement tools: fines under the Massachusetts sanitary code ranging from $10 to $500 per violation and possible revocation or suspension of the establishment's permit. The board did not vote to suspend at the June 16 meeting; it instructed staff to perform a follow‑up inspection and, if the violations persisted, to prepare documentation and consider suspension procedures for the next meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Gardner Board of Health Meeting Jun 16 2025","oneSentenceSummary","A food establishment had repeated expired food and dirty cooler violations; inspectors reported multiple fines and recommended another inspection and possible suspension if problems persist.","taxTitle","Gardner City, Worcester County, Massachusetts","taxId",60679,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6191649,"Board reviews draft private‑well regulations; debates testing frequency and numeric standards",431,1294000,1725000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=4555246-b1762843b57b2ecf16f1e260d14df06a&start=1294&end=1725","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/4555246-b1762843b57b2ecf16f1e260d14df06a/thumbnail_1294000.jpg","/articles/6191649/Gardner-City/Worcester-County/Massachusetts/Board-reviews-draft-privatewell-regulations-debates-testing-frequency-and-numeric-standards","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6191649-33240adf7f0c9a78a411a0407b6903c9/orig.mp4?Expires=1775557360&Signature=jWALANlIBbhWOI7DxBtwYh9lz08IgEGSAjYLgI4lCjJDjMmClmR2WCkrORlhGaETMh5vMbkyc5KksHse6guDO7TDrP~7hg562K2RNhEnHBYiPp~HwWSr5CHoTgMdmEQlVZ10eXBWBX~TFEXjagvQvI~cx-2l2lcdZa46ZD2pfDAb2jcZV1tXyNiFxrZwViXu8UbgiGIPsx10aLJIsL2Krp2y69zUW56WSRTnXIwfmO-P6sTMNpFHQqSvESw63DNz2krhZdm8azBxf0xPKjYpRR15zoJll5WrzG98z-BI1tf06kkzLyVpuuyGoc8fdygcTsIcLrgQoi3BN1aGNVaCeg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Members of the Gardner Board of Health reviewed a draft of proposed private well regulations on June 16 that would add procedural detail for water‑quantity calculations, clarify water‑quality expectations and require some testing and disclosure by rental property owners.

A staff member leading the revision said she restored model‑regulation guidance on how to calculate required well yield for houses larger than the default bedroom count and added tables illustrating well storage and borehole calculations. \"It's just kind of a step by step instructions on how to figure out the required flow,\" she said.

On water quality, the draft listed each chemical as a primary or secondary contaminant and included current Massachusetts maximum contaminant levels (MCLs). Board members debated whether to keep numeric MCLs in the local regulation or to adopt language requiring private wells to meet \"all current Massachusetts primary and secondary drinking water standards and guidelines.\" The staff member noted state levels do not change often but recommended referencing state standards to avoid frequent local amendments.

The proposed draft also recommends routine testing; the board discussed whether testing should be every year or every two years, and agreed to leave the frequency for further refinement. The draft would also require owners of rental properties to make well test results available to tenants; board members asked staff to clarify enforcement and possible penalties if owners do not provide results.

Board members noted that Title 5 actions or additional Title 5‑specific regulations would require a public hearing under state rules. No amendments were adopted at the meeting; staff will continue to revise the draft and return with clarified testing intervals, enforcement language, and proposed penalty structure before any formal adoption or a required public hearing.","The board discussed proposed changes to private‑well rules including water‑quantity calculation instructions, whether to include numeric state contaminant levels in the local regulation, and a rental‑property testing disclosure; no rule changes were adopted and staff will further edit the draft.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6191654,"Board approves well‑setback variance for 0 Minot Street pending conservation approval",1068,412000,1480000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=4555246-b1762843b57b2ecf16f1e260d14df06a&start=412&end=1480","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/4555246-b1762843b57b2ecf16f1e260d14df06a/thumbnail_412000.jpg","/articles/6191654/Gardner-City/Worcester-County/Massachusetts/Board-approves-wellsetback-variance-for-0-Minot-Street-pending-conservation-approval","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6191654-03610fa2e7cc3d471cb773ea3007f8c1/orig.mp4?Expires=1775557360&Signature=CZY8NgW78EU506BpIVaEx1dRYKriNUMLWp0APuTqXt5o38JmnDdmjFwgBarsafmZpBXM5~TbEZ~qodLedEnqV8oswuNwNtcm02hTjI1Oc1AcozQ8fkZT0TkTLVOiVZcYrtr90LvBzPxFFg2KWRLQHLj1HHsiyNlEDKDrWe5RCAWz7UczJb1OsLm3gKTUKXT-TA5uyG-GzZaM3pdhvNTimphm5euEPfJixzrKp4Edn-32Dq6hTx5M1ym9vvSBGQz36qmxbZieeZY2XTnZJvnUr-yY07PqE9UOOHBYWqSL3r~v3EwYvEfb5bZM0vJmgE8I1L0CkN9rf1w~lsO0KUzQcA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Gardner Board of Health on June 16 approved, pending conservation commission review, a local variance to allow a private well to be located within 10 feet of the right‑of‑way at a vacant parcel identified as 0 Minot Street.

Alec Chondrous, the project's engineer, asked the board to approve a plan that would meet state Title 5 regulations except for one requested variance: a reduction of the required 12‑inch separation between a septic tank inlet and estimated seasonal high groundwater to the minimum 1 inch allowed by 310 CMR 15 when the full 12 inches cannot be met. \"We're just requesting everything else on the plan that is compliant with Title 5 regulations and your local regulations. And that would be the only variance that we are requesting,\" Chondrous said.

Chondrous explained an alternative design: if the board would grant local relief on the town's well setback (which he said is 25 feet from the right‑of‑way), the project could shift the well and septic layout so the system would comply with 100 percent of state requirements and avoid the Title 5 separation variance. For design flexibility, the applicant asked the board to consider approving both possible variances so the project would not need to return if later conservation or engineering review changed the layout. \"We would like to only apply for one variance,\" Chondrous said, \"...but if we need to come back and do the tank instead, we could do that.\"

Board members discussed the local setback and noted the board's current practice. After discussion the board voted to grant relief allowing the well to be placed within 10 feet of the right‑of‑way, with the approval explicitly pending conservation commission approval. The chair called for the vote and members responded \"Aye.\" The board directed staff to withhold final permit issuance until conservation and engineering approvals were resolved.

If conservation does not approve the reduced well setback, the applicant will return to the board to request the Title 5 variance for the septic tank separation. No state approvals were granted by the board; the Title 5 (310 CMR 15) variance remains contingent on the applicant's follow‑up filings and any conservation commission decision.","An engineer requested a Title 5 variance to allow a septic tank separation of 1 inch from estimated seasonal high groundwater; the board approved allowing a well within 10 feet of the right‑of‑way pending conservation commission approval, reserving the state variance if conservation does not grant relief.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6191659,"Gardner Board of Health hears update on landfill monitoring, leachate pumps and 1,4‑dioxane reporting",2576,96000,2672000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=4555246-b1762843b57b2ecf16f1e260d14df06a&start=96&end=2672","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/4555246-b1762843b57b2ecf16f1e260d14df06a/thumbnail_96000.jpg","/articles/6191659/Gardner-City/Worcester-County/Massachusetts/Gardner-Board-of-Health-hears-update-on-landfill-monitoring-leachate-pumps-and-14dioxane-reporting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6191659-70f37f8232be69d19b6f87bbc3972235/orig.mp4?Expires=1775557360&Signature=M3Lo~IdUHI-p9MuKkdPBYEetT1-x1tvQy1Gwwoo5~7Z70RQ63yVU3EpbOZQjIRMzFaD7mUrWviUSE28iHQr0W2d80ShjaA8GuYayZd9rpxHa2boIKni~-S660aTLaHdtyq6fB1iZL6~2FShNdyIF7VqmHThtqzSFlapuZ-CgF0V~cNqJIeKas-eTFqJZIrchZlZoUQJ1xDUXxcpd1xiyTjISVSGyyAX07Pj1zfPH3nLZPMMZlUeBloGixsy4Bob7TDdjlzCegZmXqZDRvUEW~ubnCFP-f58-mvf03fzDOdin-~csulWMxVakQFidwBTkIGzdtySqgVzSZ3gSW7Z1fg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Gardner Board of Health members on June 16 addressed ongoing landfill monitoring after a resident raised concerns about nonfunctioning leachate pumps and repeated groundwater exceedances of 1,4‑dioxane.

Alan Russo, a Gardner resident, asked what the environmental impact would be of leachate pumps that “haven't been functioning for a few years” and whether the town had resampled groundwater locations that showed exceedances in April 2025. He also read from an email from Tory Murphy of CDC Incorporated saying, “the site is not located within the boundaries of a current or potential drinking water source area ... Down gradient receptors have been researched and no private drinking water wells are located within a thousand feet of the monitoring locations. We will provide a revised EMR to include further discussion of 1,4‑on‑site including a risk assessment.”

The email language was presented to the board as evidence that the monitoring contractor planned to submit a revised exceedance report (EMR) and a risk assessment. The board did not vote on any regulatory action at the meeting.

Micah (Health Department staff) told the board the department has reached out to two contractors for estimates to replace the leachate pumps; a second vendor visited the site the morning of June 16 and the health department expected an estimate soon. Micah also reported that groundwater resampling had been conducted on May 28 for wells that were previously in exceedance and that results were “expected any day now.” Micah said two damaged groundwater monitoring wells were repaired on May 21 and would be returned to the regular monitoring cycle.

Board members and staff discussed seeking further information from CDC Incorporated and from the Department of Environmental Protection about the revised EMR and any recommended next steps. No formal order, enforcement action, or funding commitment for pump replacement was approved; staff were directed to obtain the vendor estimate and to follow up with CDC Incorporated and DEP about the EMR and risk assessment.

The board also discussed the broader need for a licensed site professional or outside technical review to trace groundwater contamination sources if levels continue to change, but made no decision at the meeting.","Residents pressed the board about nonworking leachate pumps and groundwater exceedances; health staff said monitoring wells were resampled, damaged wells were repaired and a revised exceedance report and risk assessment were expected from the monitoring contractor.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Health staff warn board of repeated food‑safety violations at local store; inspectors consider suspension

Board reviews draft private‑well regulations; debates testing frequency and numeric standards

Board approves well‑setback variance for 0 Minot Street pending conservation approval

Gardner Board of Health hears update on landfill monitoring, leachate pumps and 1,4‑dioxane reporting