THOMASTON, Maine — Wal-Mart has agreed to take steps to make sure that there are no health risks associated with its construction of a supercenter on the grounds that included a former junkyard.
Wal-Mart Real Estate Business Trust agreed July 17 to provide an environmental covenant to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection on the site where it plans to build a 150,000-square-foot retail store on Route 1 in Thomaston. The covenant was filed July 24 in the Knox County Registry of Deeds.
The covenant states that the agreement is necessary to prevent unauthorized groundwater extraction and unauthorized change of use; to require the use of a vapor barrier and appropriate soil handling during excavation; and generally to “protect the public health, safety, and the environment.”
Part of the 30-plus acres upon which the shopping center is being built was the site of a junkyard.
Nick Hodgkins, an oil and hazardous material specialist for the DEP, said Tuesday that this type of agreement is not unusual when the site previously has been used for activities such as a junkyard.
Tests of the soil showed some dribs and drabs of oil, he said, but no evidence of anything bad that had to be removed, Hodgkins said.
“We do it as a precaution in case anything was missed,” he said about requiring an environmental agreement with developers.
There is a public water supply on this property, so groundwater use is not an issue. The vapor barrier that is being required is a safeguard, he said. A vapor barrier in this case will be sheets of plastic that will be placed on top of the concrete foundation to prevent vapors from any chemicals in the ground to pass through the concrete, he said. This also will protect against radon, he said.
Hodgkins said he does not know what the cost of the vapor barrier will be but indicated that it would not be expensive, particularly in relation to the cost of the overall project.
Wal-Mart has received its permits to construct the 150,000-square-foot building. The total project cost has been estimated at $28 million.
The company has not announced when construction will begin.
Wal-Mart did not immediately respond to an email request for comment sent Wednesday morning.
Thomaston Rockland area, too built up for me, the reason I moved away, big boxes will never attract me, I’m real worried people don’t get it, our economy is all going over seas….
I was in the Rockland Wal-Mart a couple years ago and saw a cashier crying and asked what is wrong. She said, “They cut everybody to part time so they don’t have to pay our insurance.” I looked around and saw other employees crying or looking very upset. Since that day, I rarely go into Wal-Mart. I’d rather spend more money elsewhere at a company that actually cares about employees and their families. Profit is good but greed isn’t.
The problem is that local business owners don’t necessarily offer their employees compensation and benefits, nor working conditions that are any better.
Local businesses don’t make absurd profits like Wal-Mart does and if I heard of a successful business screwing over their employees, I wouldn’t go there either.
One example is Canada’s Irving and how they abused our Maine loggers by cutting their pay in half about 10+ years ago forcing many out of business all in the name of profits. Since hearing that on the news, I could count the amount of times I’ve been in an Irving station on one hand.
For the purpose of determining whether a large corporation/business is required to offer healthcare, Obamacare sets the bar at 30 hours a week for fulltime. That only kicks in in 2014, so time will tell as to whether Walmart will start offering it or just cut back even more on their employees’ hours.
Another big Wal Mart in Maine, just what we don’t need.
Well if they’re building on top of a junkyard, they won’t have to truck in their inventory for awhile.