Bellingham Board of Health funds well tests near failing septic system

BELLINGHAM — June 12, 2026 — Bellingham Board of Health approves well testing and hears fraud conviction in septage case. The board voted unanimously at its May 19 meeting to spend up to $1,000 from the professional services budget to test wells at two properties connected to a failing septic system where a homeowner had illegally connected an RV using professionally installed PVC plumbing, with Health Agent Dylan LaBonte warning of potential contamination at a neighboring private well. The board also learned that Michael Martian, a local septage hauler who submitted falsified disposal slips claiming 9,000 gallons deposited at a Maine facility — far more than the facility reportedly received — was found guilty on all 12 fraud counts following LaBonte's testimony; sentencing was pending. Members voted unanimously to redirect all revenue from textile donation bin pickups, currently collected through a Planet Aid arrangement and deposited to the town's general fund, directly to the Council on Aging. A separate notice from Weston & Sampson Engineers flagged elevated petroleum distillates in soil and groundwater at the town's Department of Public Works yard at 26 Blackstone Street, a condition present since May 2023 but assessed as posing no significant risk under current use.