Senator Eldridge, and Representatives Hogan and Gentile Oppose Eversource Attempt to Fast-track Transmission Line through Sudbury, Hudson, and Stow
Boston, MA - Senator Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton), and Representatives Kate Hogan (D-Stow) and Carmine L. Gentile (D - Sudbury) have sent a letter to Department of Recreation and Conservation (DCR) Commissioner Jim Montgomery regarding their concerns that Eversource is trying to fast-track the construction of a high voltage transmission line through the communities of Sudbury, Hudson and Stow, despite serious concerns from municipal officials, conservation organizations, and residents about the negative impacts of the project, and the lack of environmental and health protections required in the Eversource proposal.
“The health of the drinking water, wetlands, and habitats that exist in these communities should not be ignored by DCR and Eversource, as they continue with the regulatory and permitting standards”, said State Senator Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton). “We hope to see community involvement in this project so as to ensure the protection and safety of the residents, conservation land, wildlife, and natural resources.”
"We appreciate the need for a new high transmission line between Hudson and Sudbury to improve the reliability of the electric system serving this area. However, we believe there are important considerations that need to occur to ensure that valuable local resources are not harmed, including the Assabet River Rail Trail and the conservation land and drinking water sources surrounding it. That’s why we’re calling on Eversource and DCR to reevaluate and adopt more suitable construction, regulatory and permitting standards,” said Representative Hogan.
Representative Gentile added, “The Baker administration’s Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) needs to step up and partner with our municipal Conservation Commissions, and the Hudson and Sudbury Water Districts to prevent foreseeable contamination of our drinking water and other environmental impacts threatened by the ill-conceived high voltage transmission line that Eversource plans to construct.”
“The DCR not only chose to partner with a corporation instead of our communities, but also facilitate the abuse of the regulatory standards intended to protect the health and safety of the citizens of Massachusetts that would be harmed by this project,” said Ray Phillips, President of Protect Sudbury Inc. “The DCR has effectively abandoned their mission to protect our natural and cultural resources.”
From the letter, “We are concerned about Eversource’s attempt to use MassDEP’s ‘Best Management Practices’, intended for rail trail construction, as the regulatory and permitting standard for the construction of their transmission line, as well as DCR’s participation in this plan. It is our understanding that this guidance document was developed to facilitate low impact surface use of contaminated railbeds. The proposed high voltage transmission line would be constructed 10-15 feet below ground into the contaminated railbed and into the groundwater, and would run through five Zone 2 aquifers that supply drinking water to the towns of Sudbury and Hudson, and would damage conservation lands owned by the Sudbury Valley Trustees, the local municipalities, and the state and federal government.”
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