Situation Report, 4-26-22

Three Threats to the Commons in Plymouth County; Update on Nuclear Dumping, the County Woodlot/Casino-Horse Track Proposal, and Sand-mining/Batteries (Aquifer Abuse)

[Dear Readers, I am trying to make sure I have everything right for the more formal, newspaper-style articles on a number of issues. In the meantime, I have resorted to the expedient of a Situation Report, or SITREP, which I learned about through ex-military acquaintances and find useful].

Having, through a long story, become acquainted with certain retired US Army Special Forces and other military intelligence officers, I have long admired their habit of writing a Situation Report (A SITREP, as they call them). I believe they are suited to our task, and academic historians were once put to work doing exactly that, when they were conscripted during the world wars.

   A situation report is precisely what it sounds like, a description of current geopolitical/military events, often written by the Intelligence section (G2, in the US Army) of the Staff Officers who help serve as a nervous center for any large military organization (others covering things like Logistics, Operations, Personnel, and Civil-Military Relation, inter alia). Diplomatic cables are a near equivalent.

Formal articles on all of these subjects are en route, but I did not want to leave people in the lurch, so this is an interim solution.

So here is my SITREP for the Commons of Plymouth County for Monday, 4/25/22, divided into three theaters of operation: nuclear dumping, the County woodlot, and sand-mining.

( Surficial Geology of Plymouth County; photo credit — nesoil.com )

Nuclear Dumping

1. Campaign To Halt Holtec & Save Our Bay Continues.

The campaign against Holtec’s corporate aggression, i.e., dumping irradiated wastewater in our bays, continues unabated. A successful rally brought hundreds to the Plymouth waterfront on April 9th, a fine and breezy spring Saturday. Politicians, media, fishermen, environmentalists, and everyday citizens showed up. Full disclosure: I spoke [article to come].

Another rally is planned for May 9th, at 5 p.m. in front of the 1620 Hotel in Plymouth, prior to the NRC Meeting. Many speakers are set to address the meeting, including Gubernatorial hopeful Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz (D-Boston).

2. Legislation. 

H. 4444 and S. 2791, legislation to make dumping radioactive wastewater illegal, have both been introduced, but I am growing frankly skeptical of their prospects after hearing from sources familiar with Beacon Hill. One person with long experience of the legislature said there was currently “zero chance” of the two bills passing. This is extremely concerning! Hospitals and other medical offices are afraid they may be regulated under these bills, but have not testified against it, to my knowledge, and amendatory language has been offered. We need to know what the hold-up on these is, frankly [article to come]. 

At the rally on April 9th, members of the Plymouth Select Board called for a preliminary injunction to halt Holtec from continuing any decommissioning work. This is positive, but it also raises further questions –- foremost for me among these is why the Attorney General, Maura Healey, who is running for the Democratic nomination for Governor, has not already filed such an injunction (the AG does not have to put up a bond for an injunction, the Town of Plymouth would have to, to my knowledge, and it would be a lot of money). Her legal authority to do so is well-established, as Attorney James Lampert of Duxbury has eloquently and consistently argued. [article to come]

4. Markey to Plymouth
Sen. Markey will be visiting Plymouth on May 6th with members of a Congressional delegation looking into the decommissioning of nuclear plants. I plan on being there (I believe it will be held in the Great Hall of Plymouth Town Hall).

Casino/Horse Track — County Woodlot Proposal

5. Ballot Question and Town Elections

Since the first article in this publication, which covered the 3/31/22 Plymouth County Commission meeting that approved the lease of the County Woodlot to casino/horse track developers, the Plymouth Board of Selectman — perhaps sensing the palpable popular outrage — agreed to put a non-binding Question on the May 21st ballot regarding the casino proposal.

In addition, Selectman Charlie Bletzer is up for reelection after winning his seat in last year’s special election to replace Selectwoman Shelagh Joyce. Retired Plymouth fire chief Ed Bradley, and former Plymouth selectman John Mahoney are also running for the Select Board. UPDATE: Alan Costello is running for Plymouth Select Board, as well — I was not aware and regret the error! [I welcome corrections, they are absolutely critical for a publication like this].

Bletzer, noted for his stated friendliness to development interests, voted for the letter of approval of the casino project, despite reportedly admitting he had not read the proposal.

6. Public Meeting Moved to 5/11.

The public meeting at Memorial Hall, looked at by some as a Boston South Real Estate Group (casino developers) “dog and pony show,” was moved from April 26th to May 11th.

7. Opponents continue to organize and publicize

Meanwhile, opponents of the wildly unpopular casino/horse track proposal (rejected 85 to 15% by Wareham Town Meeting last Spring) continue to gird themselves for the long struggle.

WBZ Radio 1030’s Dan Rea, a longtime Boston reporter, radio host, and media presence, covered the issue extensively on the Wednesday, April 20th, broadcast of his program. Alyse Bruneau, of Plymouth, and an opponent of the track, was interviewed, as were other residents (full disclosure: I called in, as well).

In addition, a rally opposing the casino/horse track has been planned for Saturday, April 30th, from 1-3 pm, on Cole’s Hill in Plymouth.

8. Attorney Bolotin’s Research
Attorney and Planning Board Candidate Stephen J. Bolotin has started digging into the legal background and context of both the procedural steps that would be required for a casino/horse track to go forward, and, at a larger level, what would be required from a legal standpoint to abolish County Government in Plymouth County. I plan to talk to Mr. Bolotin this week and learn more, and then condense it into an article.

Clear-Cutting/Sand-mining/Batteries (Aquifer Abuse)

9. Battery Moratorium Passes

Carver Town Meeting passed a temporary Moratorium on Industrial Battery Storage construction (Article 38), which will expire in just over 11 months, 387 votes in favor, 76 votes opposed.

I am still digging a little more deeply into the results of the Town Elections over the weekend, though Mr. Cotter and Mr. Dionne were elected to the Board of Selectmen and the Planning Board. [article to come]

10. Plymouth Sand-ming Standout/ZBA Hearing, 4/20/22

The final piece of big news I’m working on is an examination of a legal request before the Plymouth Zoning Board of Appeals, regarding one of A.D. Makepeace’s unregulated sand mining operations in South Plymouth, in the beautiful region of Frogfroot Brook (sacred to local Wampanoag people, as well as all of us who love that land). Attorneys Meg Sheehan and Jonathan Polloni made a pretty convincing case that the operation is illegal.

There was a standout before the ZBA meeting in front of Plymouth Town Hall. I was at it, and spoke at the meeting opposing the extra-legal sand mining.

……

So that is where we are tonight, in my estimation, and I will be looking in greater depth at all of these issues.