Wayland Board of Health hands burial agent role to town clerk

WAYLAND — June 10, 2024 — Wayland Board of Health unanimously shifts burial agent duties to the town clerk. The board voted 5-0 Monday to appoint the town clerk as burial agent, ending a paperwork role Health Director Julia and staffer Patty said now amounts to verifying three data fields in the state's electronic death registry. "It's not like it's some huge increase in workflow for anybody," Julia said, calling it a "smoother" transition. The board also heard from chemist Emery Ford, who warned that mixing Wayland's chlorinated supply with incoming MWRA chloramine water is "incompatible" and urged a task force. Members reviewed a town engineer's letter citing 2,100 milligrams per liter of oil and grease at the Alta Oxbow pump station — against a 100 mg/L cap — and state PFAS results of 7.4 ng/L at Lake Cochituate's Middle Pond, below the 94 ng/L threshold of concern. Annual appointments of animal inspectors Jennifer Condon, Marissa Ward and Donna Wallace were approved.