To the Editor:
Recently a local landscape design and construction business, Yard Boss, was called to task before the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission regarding the matter of water withdrawals at the Herring Spillway of the Mattapoisett River. This was prompted by a letter from the Town of Fairhaven who controls the spillway. I serve as an appointed member of ConCom, but I write this as a private citizen and this is an expression of my opinion.
There are four towns that comprise the Mattapoisett River Valley Authority: Mattapoisett, Marion, Rochester and Fairhaven. All four of these towns will soon put forth bylaw resolutions which will prohibit water withdrawals from this resource. I am writing to state for the record that this is a mistake. Here’s why:
There are currently no state considerations or laws prohibiting this activity but there are equipment and safety requirements which are known standards. Yard Boss knows this and has met these standards without incident for ten years and recently certified them with the Massachusetts Environmental Police. This documentation was provided to the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission; it is public record.
What’s an interesting conundrum is that the machine which requires these water withdrawals is a Hydro Seeder. It takes water from the river just before it would flow into the ocean and then it sprays this water back into the ground with grass seed and other materials to promote fast soil stabilization, many times in areas of critical concern to protect the resources which the Wetlands Protection Act was intended to conserve. What’s important, though, is the water goes back into the ground in these municipalities and in a way which provides a conservation benefit.
Does Yard Boss have other options?
Yes. All of which cost money, and these costs would then be passed onto the consumers that already collectively own a resource: The water. So if we’re going to regulate it, let’s be smart about it. Why would we want to do something which will cost all of us more money, when it doesn’t have to? It’s already our resource; let’s be intelligent about it.
All of the water used from the Herring Run is soon to spill into the ocean. The drinking water comes from upstream wells. If this water is sprayed back into the ground in a manner consistently required for Conservation uses and resource area protections, then I think we should allow the water withdrawal activity to occur. As it stands now, it is a perfectly legal activity and Mr. Rodrigues’ reputation for getting quality work done is impeccable.
I guess my feeling is, where there is no harm, there is no foul and if something is working why monkey around with it, when ultimately the community as a whole benefits from the activity. Please bear in mind that because of the beauty we enjoy in our communities, regulatory compliance for resource conservation is already expensive, why would you want to make it more expensive?
That’s my 500 words.
Michael D King, Mattapoisett
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