WEYMOUTH - Boston University professor Nathan Phillips said he is on a hunger strike to force the Department of Environmental Protection and Gov. Charlie Baker to address repeated complaints made by the Fore River Residents Against the Compressor Station.

"It is a legitimate public health emergency," said Phillips, an environmental activist and Newton resident, Feb. 3. "It is happening in front of our eyes at the site of the compressor station, and nobody is acting except for FRRACS and its allies."

Phillips said he began his hunger strike on Jan. 29.

He was among 10 protesters who were charged with trespassing at the Boston DEP headquarters on Oct. 2 while demonstrating against the pending construction of the compressor station.

A Boston Municipal Court judge later dismissed the charges against him and the other protesters during his arraignment

FRRACS's most recent complaint to the DEP is about dump trucks leaving the compressor worksite without being decontaminated under a Release Abatement Plan that Enbridge Inc., and its subsidiary Algonquin Gas Transmission, agreed to follow.

The five-acre parcel has varying amounts of coal, ash, and slag, which were buried by the former Boston Edison Edgar Station, according to TRC Environmental, a consultant for the fuel companies.

Phillips said construction trucks are leaving the worksite without being decontaminated and the parcel's soil likely has high levels of asbestos-laden burner bricks, in addition to arsenic.

"This is a 27-foot deep coal ash dump made up with burner bricks," he said. "As you dig deeper, you go back in time to when the bricks contained asbestos. The only thing they (TRC Environmental) sampled, were bricks that were one-foot down in the ground. They tested only eight surface bricks and called it good

Phillips said he would end his hunger strike if the DEP meets three conditions.

The first condition requires Enbridge to make sure all dump trucks leaving the construction site are decontaminated under the (RAM) Release Abatement Plan.

“A decontamination pad is an effective way of washing the wheels to get the coal ash and residue off,” Phillips said. “We have plenty of evidence that is not happening.”

He said his second condition requires the DEP to conduct comprehensive testing for asbestos in the furnace bricks, and coal ash matrix throughout the soil in the north parcel of the site.

A DEP spokesperson speaking on background said agency officials would have a detailed discussion Feb. 7 with FRRACS representatives about the Release Abatement Plan and "other questions."

“MassDEP anticipates a detailed discussion about the status of the RAM plan (and) other questions the representatives have regarding compliance with the Massachusetts Contingency Plan and MassDEP’s ongoing oversight of activities at the site,” stated the spokesperson.

Phillip’s third condition for ending his hunger strike requires the Baker administration to commit to installing an air quality monitor near the compressor station site no later than Feb. 17.

“Baker promised he would move on putting in an air monitor within a couple of days when he talked on a Boston radio station on Jan. 23,” he said.

The DEP agreed Jan. 31 to place a temporary air monitoring station within two weeks to monitor pollution levels, according to State Sen. Patrick O’Connor, R-Weymouth.

“The Baker-Polito Administration has made the installation and operation of a long-term monitoring station in the Fore River Area a priority,” stated the DEP. “MassDEP continues to work closely with the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure that this monitoring station will meet all EPA siting criteria, and MassDEP is planning the inclusion of the site into its state-wide ambient air monitoring network through its annual network plan that is submitted to EPA.

The DEP stated the monitoring station would evaluate existing air quality in the basin, in addition to measuring nitrogen dioxide, fine particulate matter (PM2.5), ozone, and volatile organic compounds, which are consistent with EPA monitoring regulations and guidance.

“The station will also measure meteorological parameters including, but not limited to temperature, and wind speed and direction,” stated the DEP. “MassDEP continues its evaluation of several potential locations for siting the monitoring station and has narrowed down the number of sites for this permanent station and will be working with City of Weymouth on finalizing an appropriate site.”

Phillips said he wouldn't believe the monitoring station is going to be installed until it occurs.

“We are not declaring victory on that yet,” he said. “We want to see evidence that it is going in.”

FRRACS leader Alice Arena said she appreciates Phillips's support but feels bad for him about going on a hunger strike.

“I feel awful that he has to go to this length to get the attention of the DEP and the governor who is supposed to be taking care of us,” she said.