To the editor:

Shortly after being appointed to the Portsmouth Wastewater Advisory Committee (WWAC) on Oct. 15, 2005, we learned that Department of Health shellfish monitoring found the waters off Island Park (IP) and Portsmouth Park (PP) suitable for shellfishing and that tests for swimming were not even being done.

They were closed because of a “threat.” (Swimming has occurred regularly off Park Avenue.) This followed the Berger report, which lead to recommend a wastewater ordinance which was ejected by DEM and made no statement as to cost benefit. The WWAC requested a wastewater ordinance which was rejected by DEM as requiring a “variance.” Their denial had nothing to do with pollution.

Of course, now we see all kinds of DEM-sanctioned variances in the IP/PP area particularly as part of the 200-foot cesspool phaseout program with no reports that the waters are any cleaner. How can you clean up a threat?

Now we start with inspections. Please bear in mind that we paid Lombardo $250,000 to do all the inspections in the IP/PP area. About 40 out of 1,000 were done and Lombardo told us that they don’t catch pollution. Now the residents will pick up the costs. For what?

Prior to the notice of violation, $2 million of taxpayers’ money was spent to justify sewers. This resulted in proposed construction costs of $104 million and total costs of $200 million — about $200,000 per house spread out over 20 years, with no representation as to benefit.

Philip Driscoll

169 Immokolee Drive

Portsmouth

Mr. Driscoll, a current member of the Portsmouth Wastewater Appeals Board, is a former member of the Portsmouth Wastewater Advisory Committee and a former member and chairman of the Portsmouth Wastewater Commission.