On March 25, the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission once again received a report on the status of The Bogs project off Acushnet Road, now owned by the Buzzards Bay Coalition. In recent months, excavation-site work and stormwater volumes had rendered stormwater control systems unable to handle drainage necessary to keep the water on site.
Calls to the commission by abutters expressing concern that stormwater had overtopped temporary drainage systems put in place during full on-site work had been received. Subsequent site evaluation by Brandon Faneuf, the town’s environmental agent, bore witness to the massive flooding described by neighbors. The commission saw fit to issue an Enforcement Order to the BBC for immediate remedy to take place.
On-site monitoring of the former bog acreage was put in place to ensure that any future stormwater runoff would be contained on the site through an elaborate system of ditches, ponds and coffer dams.
The commission also suggested that soils transferred from the site from storm flooding might contain harmful agricultural chemicals historically used on cranberry bogs. The issue of whether or not to mandate soil testing was referred to the Select Board, whose response is still pending, Chairman Mike King stated.
The biweekly report noted that erosion controls were holding as designed and that work on the site that will ultimately result in new walking trails and passive, outdoor recreation opportunities, found everything in order.
While the BBC did not request a lifting of the Enforcement Order, King said the commission still needed to hear from the Select Board in the matter of soil testing before lifting the order.
In other business, a Request for Determination of Applicability filed by Judith Otter, 15 Bay View Avenue, for improvements to an existing deck received a Negative Box 2 decision.
Certificates of compliance were issued to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation for work completed on Phase 1b of the bike path and to Dan McCarthy, 16-18 Ocean View Avenue, for an invalid Order of Conditions.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission is scheduled for Monday, April 8, at 6:30 pm.
Mattapoisett Conservation Commission
By Marilou Newell