SWAMPSCOTT — The Earth Removal Advisory Committee is preparing to revisit how air quality is monitored at the Amrize Quarry after its newest member shared concerns about the current testing program. 

George Allen, who was recently appointed by the Board of Health as its voting representative on ERAC, used his first meeting Monday to summarize concerns he raised during the Select Board’s annual quarry permitting process in June. 

Allen said that shortly after joining the Board of Health, he had reviewed recent air-monitoring reports prepared for the quarry by its consultant TechEnvironmental. From those reports, Allen gathered that the current testing methods provide little meaningful information about long-term public health risks. 

According to Allen, the reports rely on one day of sampling three times a year, which he does not believe to be sufficient to support the company’s claims that the quarry is meeting the standard. He also questioned which standards are being met, saying that the available data does not demonstrate that results fall below the “widely accepted public health limit.”

“They say they met the standard, but, you know, their limit of detection is higher than the standard,” Allen said. “I mean, it’s garbage … the consultants should be embarrassed actually for putting that out.” 

At previous meetings, Allen has been clear that his concerns are centered around the methods of air-quality monitoring, not a belief that there is an underreported public health risk at the Amrize Quarry. At Monday’s meeting, he emphasized the importance of accurate and responsible testing methods, because quarry dust can pose a significant health risk. 

He said the greatest concern is crystalline silica, a mineral dust that can cause serious lung conditions like pulmonary fibrosis after prolonged exposure. 

Allen urged the committee to “break the mold” by adopting a layered monitoring strategy beginning with inexpensive, real-time particulate sensors that could identify dust hotspots around the quarry before moving to more sophisticated monitoring equipment when warranted. 

“I’m suggesting we try a whole new approach,” Allen said. “Something that gets us a little closer to being protective of public health for folks and the abutters.” 

The sensors that Allen recommended from PurpleAir run for roughly $300. The town already has several sensors installed, which Allen said proved helpful during heavy air pollution from the Canadian wildfires earlier in July. 

“The data quality is not high, but they’re an indicator of dust. They will tell you when there’s a dust event,” Allen said. “It’s a layered process to make sure that we’re protecting against the things that really matter.” 

ERAC Chair Joe Markarian said the committee has scheduled a meeting with representatives from the quarry and TechEnvironmental on Aug. 24 to discuss monitoring concerns and possible changes to the air-quality measuring program. 

Markarian said Amrize has been open to conversations around testing methodology, though company representatives have expressed concerns about continuous monitoring because readings could be influenced by pollution sources outside the quarry, including nearby truck traffic and the Salem transfer station. 

Markarian said he would prefer first establishing an accurate baseline before determining what additional monitoring may be appropriate.