Association to Preserve Cape Cod - this week... |
Truro bluff. Photo by Sue Machie |
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Protecting Cape Cod Bay Against Holtec's Radioactive Waste |
APCC applauds EPA Region 1 for its strong and unequivocal stance that the proposed discharge of radioactive water into Cape Cod Bay is illegal. APCC remains deeply concerned that Holtec will decide that illegally discharging and paying the fines is a good bottom-line financial decision. Our legal team is developing the necessary filing to seek court intervention to change the calculus around proceeding with an illegal act to include penalties not limited to fines. Executives at Holtec may view proceeding differently if the penalties for doing so become personal.
Of course, all of this can stop and the focus turned to the important work of decommissioning the plant safely, that is, if Holtec does the right thing and simply says: There will be no discharge of radioactive water into Cape Cod Bay. APCC'S legal efforts will stop when that commitment is made. Until then, we will keep going. Read EPA's letter...
For information on the history of Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station and Holtec's involvement as chronicled through news articles, see APCC's website. |
A Must Read!
The Bomb Next Door by Thomas A. Bass | June 1, 2022.
Eighty years into the atomic age, U.S. nuclear power reactors have produced several million tons of radioactive waste—and we still have no idea how to dispose of it. |
APCC in the News
WBUR EPA says Holtec can't dump contaminated wastewater in Cape Cod Bay without new permit
CapeCod.com Andrew Gottlieb Talks Retaining Legal Team, Bridge Task Force WCAI EPA warns Pilgrim Nuclear of jail time; company doubles down on refusal to delay water discharge | APCC Cyanobacteria Monitoring Program
APCC Cyanobacteria Identification Accuracy Validated ~ Throughout the 2022 season, APCC’s Cyanobacteria Monitoring Program engaged in a “Proficiency Test” to determine program accuracy in cyanobacteria identification. The test was coordinated by third party specialists and entailed identification of identical samples between APCC and several accomplished cyanobacteria laboratories.
A third-party review of the results found general strong agreement in identification between APCC and key labs. Accuracy in cyanobacteria identification is critical for determining risk in harmful cyanobacteria bloom (HCB) events.
The findings of this review are a validation of APCC’s processes and procedures, which produce high quality data for program partners across the region. The full report is available upon request from [email protected]. |
APCC Supports Proposed DEP Water Quality Improvement Regulations - Your Comments Matter!
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection has drafted proposed regulations that significantly strengthen the rules governing the use of septic systems and encourage and incentivize towns to obtain watershed management permits. Both sets of regulations are critical, time sensitive and warrant support. It has been evident for decades that septic systems, even legal ones compliant with state and local rules, are the source of, not the solution to, the deterioration of water quality in the Cape’s marine estuaries and bays.
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In response to requests made during the public hearings, the public comment period for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s (MassDEP) draft amendments to the Title 5 regulations, 310 CMR 15.000, and the new, related Watershed Permit regulations at 314 CMR 21.00, has been extended until January 30, 2023. MassDEP will be hosting two additional Public Hearings: Remote Only, January 24, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. Register at:
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_veLVS545RCqGZhI6tuN2rQ Remote Only, January 25, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. Register at:
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Is2pAS_cR_uXvNhhs5r3oQ
MassDEP also intends to hold two additional information sessions on: January 17, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. (remote) and January 18, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. (hybrid). More information about how to participate in these sessions will be provided on MassDEP’s website.
MassDEP has proposed these amendments and regulations to enhance protection of embayments and estuaries—particularly on Cape Cod, the Islands, the southern portion of the South Shore and the South Coast in Southeastern Massachusetts—from nitrogen pollution originating primarily from wastewater. The proposed amendments will allow MassDEP to designate new Natural Resource Area Nitrogen Sensitive Areas (NSA) and add nitrogen reduction provisions within these areas for Title 5 systems. The new Watershed Permit regulations at 314 CMR 21.00 provide a voluntary watershed permitting approach for communities to control nitrogen and other pollutants from entering the embayments and estuaries.
The draft regulations are published on the MassDEP website at: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massdep-public-hearings-comment-opportunities and at: 310 CMR 15.000: Septic Systems ("Title 5") | Mass.gov and 314 CMR 21.00: Watershed Permit Regulations | Mass.gov
Recordings of previously held information sessions and public hearings can also be found here: 310 CMR 15.000: Septic Systems ("Title 5") | Mass.gov
Oral comments will be received at the above public hearings in January 2023 and written comments can be submitted via email to [email protected]. Please put “Title 5 and Watershed Permitting” in the subject line. Written comments may also be submitted by mail and should be sent to MassDEP, Bureau of Water Resources – Division of Watershed Management, 100 Cambridge Street, suite 900, Boston, MA 02114, Attention: Title 5 & Watershed Permit.
For your convenience, APCC has created an online form to submit your comments. Click here. |
APCC and the Brewster Garden Club hosting a webinar: Tidmarsh – A Study in the Restoration of Wetlands on Cranberry Farms Thursday, January 4, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. Speaker: Glorianna Davenport, co-founder and president of Living Observatory Virtual event is free.
For more information and to register CLICK HERE. |
Looking for a Way to Celebrate the New Year? |
About #FirstDayHikesCapeCod
Championed by Barnstable Land Trust and supported by local conservation organizations, First Day Hikes Cape Cod is an initiative designed to encourage people to get outdoors with free guided walks and activities to explore Cape Cod’s parks, trails, and natural resources. Nonprofit conservation organizations offering hikes in 2023 include the Barnstable Land Trust, Brewster Conservation Trust, Chatham Conservation Foundation, Dennis Conservation Land Trust, 300 Committee Land Trust (Falmouth), Harwich Conservation Trust, Orenda Wildlife Land Trust, Orleans Conservation Trust, Friends of Bass River, and Friends of Herring River (Wellfleet and Truro). To find out more, check participating organizations websites or see the full schedule of events at www.blt.org/firstdayhikescapecod
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What do you see when you go outside? |
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The Pollinator Pathway Cape Cod is a group of organizations promoting native plants and pollinator-friendly land care practices to create a load of safe oases for our native bees, butterflies and a whole host of other pollinators that are crucial to the health of our ecosystems. Join us! It's easy. There are no fees. You just need to pledge to ADD native plants, SUBTRACT a little lawn, AVOID yard chemicals, especially pesticides, and LEAVE the leaves. And, help us spread the word. If you wish, please get on the map to show your support of pollinators!
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Looking for a speaker? Check out APCC's Speakers Bureau.
APCC staff speak on a variety of topics and are available by Zoom. If interested, please contact the staff person directly to make arrangements. |
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The Jewels of Cape Cod ~ Our Freshwater Ponds |
A Day to Forget An Interview with Tracy Raymond, Plymouth, MA Written by Judy Bygate
I began windsurfing in the 1990s, when I was in my mid-thirties and lived in Dennis. Windsurfing was a big deal then and if you were cool at all, you windsurfed or enjoyed roller blading. I did both.
I started windsurfing in Nantucket Sound before I tried to windsurf at Upper Mill Pond in Brewster. So the day I “tried” to windsurf in Upper Mill Pond, I didn’t think that it would be that difficult. Nor did I think it would be one of the most embarrassing days of my life.
Upper Mill Pond is 249 acres with the maximum depth is 31 feet. There are 12 different species of fish and conservation area that surrounds the pond consists of about 875 acres wonderful for hiking. There are cranberry bogs, huckleberry bushes and of course, oak and pine trees. I thought that this pond would be easier than windsurfing in open water. My husband and I arrived at the pond on a warm summer day. It was quiet and secluded, which was surprising for a summer day, but in the 1990s, you could often swim in many ponds on the Cape and find no one there. I was dressed in my two-piece bathing suit (a faded memory at this point in my life) and my water shoes.
I got myself ready. I put on my harness, got on the board and began one of the shortest sails I’d ever have. Despite windsurfing on open water in the Sound, I wasn’t experienced to understand the wind and the rapidly changing directions of it. As I launched the sail into the water, a gust of wind suddenly pulled the surfboard out from under me, and it took off on a solo journey across the pond. At the very same time, one of my water shoes came flying off, sinking into the water. As if this wasn’t enough, my bathing suit top was ripped up to my chin while my bathing suit bottom quickly dropped to my knees!
The most distressing aspect of this was that I didn’t know what I should go for first: the board, the shoe, the bottom, or the top. Needless to say, I never windsurfed again at that pond! |
Last full moon of 2022 over Elbow Pond by Sanford Zevon |
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Pond Stories is a collection of writings and other media from Cape Codders and visitors who love the 890 local ponds that dot the Cape. We hope this collection of stories awakens your inner environmentalist to think deeper about our human impacts to these unique bodies of water. |
Send us your favorite pond photo, story, poem, video, artwork—we want to share with everyone why the Cape's ponds and lakes are so special! Email your pond connection to [email protected] |
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A Cape Cod Native Plant-finder ~ to help you choose the perfect native plant for your garden location. |
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Bearberry - Arctostaphylos uva-ursi |
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| APCC Enewsletters. Our weekly newsletters will now be archived on our website and easily shared. Here, you can find past newsletters from July 2022 on.
Share this with your friends and they can sign up HERE. |
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Are you thinking of going solar? We hope so! In partnership with SUNPOWER BY E2 SOLAR in Dennis, APCC receives $500 for every solar installation when APCC is named as referral. |
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| Thank you to the homeowners who just contracted to install solar panels through E2 Solar. May the sun always shine for you! |
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| Every cup of coffee you drink could be supporting APCC's work and a local Cape Cod business.
But ONLY if it's Coastal Cape Blend from Cape Cod Coffee! Look for the new label. Order online. A portion of the proceeds for every bag of Coastal Cape Blend sold is donated to APCC. It's important to know that Cape Cod Coffee sources beans are Fair Trade & Rainforest Alliance certified, and grown without the use of pesticides. |
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Expressions Gallery, 578 Main Street, Chatham
CLICK HERE |
Ocean to Office. APCC has partnered with EXPRESSIONS, a fine art photography gallery located in Chatham center, to provide Cape businesses the opportunity to beautify their offices with coastal photography while directly supporting protection of our cherished environment. This special offering gives back to APCC. CLICK HERE to learn more. |
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Thank you to our business sponsors |
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