Association to Preserve Cape Cod |
Skaket Beach, Orleans. Photo by Sue Machie. |
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| This Takes My Breath Away Andrew Gottlieb, APCC Executive Director
The relative calm and enjoyment of the beginning of the holiday season ended abruptly for me Monday night. The cause was not all the Cyber Monday emails, it was the jaw dropping revelations by Holtec about the ongoing decommissioning of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station. APCC has opposed Holtec’s intended release of contaminated wastewater into Cape Cod Bay as a plain and obvious violation of the Ocean Sanctuaries Act (OSA). The state agrees with us and has issued a tentative decision denying Holtec the permission to discharge. We await the finalization of the denial by DEP.
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At the meeting of the Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel (NDCAP), representatives of Holtec provided an update that reveals their clear intentions to skirt the law and dispose of their contaminated wastewater as they prefer without consideration of the best interests of the people of the Commonwealth. Here is what we learned:
1. Holtec has added four more years of delay to final closure and site release. For those of you keeping score at home, that means eight years have been added to the schedule this year alone from 2027 to 2035. The stated reason for the extended timeline is ongoing uncertainty about release of wastewater.
2. Heaters have been reintroduced to the core reactor building for "worker comfort."
3. The 1.1 million gallons of wastewater is now 900,000 gallons due to uncontrolled and untreated evaporation into the air.
4. Holtec will appeal a final OSA denial when and if issued.
5. DEP notified Holtec that if evaporation becomes the primary means of water disposal, then Holtec must notify DEP for a determination of applicability of Air Quality permit requirements. Holtec has made no such notification to DEP.
From my seat on the NDCAP panel, it is pretty obvious that Holtec will continue to evaporate contaminated wastewater into the air we breathe while appealing the expected OSA denial. Their appeal seems that it will be rooted in a tortured and highly selective reading of the OSA that would make a circus contortionist proud, but it is one that buys them time. The appeal maintains the veneer of ocean outfall being the primary and preferred means of disposal, while they just evaporate the water without repercussion. The eight year time extension for closure gives them enough time to evaporate the remaining 900,000 gallons of wastewater down to essentially nothing. Having then disposed of the wastewater, I suspect they withdraw the application for ocean outfall and make the appeal moot and congratulate themselves for playing the regulators and the rest of us for fools.
Of course, I could be wrong and Holtec could clear this all up with a statement that they will accept the OSA permit denial, comply with the relevant air quality permit requirements associated with evaporation, and have an open discussion about the best way to handle the remaining contaminated wastewater. If they say any of this, we will be sure to let you know. In the meantime, don’t hold your breath unless you don’t want to breathe the contaminants they are releasing into our air.
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Results of 2023 Volunteer Counts of River Herring Continue to Be Troubling |
Each year APCC provides an annual summary of volunteer visual counts of river herring in Cape Cod runs. This year the results of the 2023 herring counts again demonstrate a mixed bag containing both good news and bad news.
Herring run size estimates were calculated by the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (MassFisheries) using herring count data collected by volunteers using a visual count method recommended by MassFisheries. The results below compare 2023 run size estimates with 2022 numbers and with all-time high numbers. Upper Cape runs: - Mill Creek, Sandwich: 532 in 2023; all-time high was 22,711 in 2018;
- Mashpee River, Mashpee: 75,348 in 2023 was down from 90,386 in 2022, with the all-time high of 372,996 in 2018;
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Quashnet River, Mashpee: 4,377 in 2023 was up from 1,327 in 2022, but the all-time high was 40,854 in 2014;
- Santuit Pond, Mashpee: 44,757 in 2023 was up from 42,507 in 2022, but the all-time high was 143,262 in 2012;
- Coonamessett River, Falmouth (daytime): 3,032 in 2023 was up from 2,602 in 2022, but the all-time high was 81,317 in 2016;
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Trunk River, Falmouth: 40,250 in 2023 was up from 13,092 in 2022.
Mid-Cape runs: - Stony Brook, Brewster: 132,389 in 2023 was up from 39,839 in 2022, but the all-time high was 271,363 in 2014;
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Herring River, Harwich: 161,962 in 2023 was up from 47,621 in 2022, but the all-time high was 247,894 in 2014;
- Tom Mathews Pond, Yarmouth: Counts were not done this year; last year’s run size estimate was 0, down from the all-time high of 70,169 in 2014.
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Marstons Mills River, Barnstable (Mill Pond): All-time high of 92,723 in 2023, up from 50,961 in 2022.
- Red Lily Pond, Barnstable: 22 in 2023 was down from 50 in 2022, and the all-time high was 913 in 2013;
- Centerville River, Barnstable: 7,300 in 2023 was down from 18,343 in 2022, and the all-time high was 216,143 in 2021.
Lower/Outer Cape runs: - Pilgrim Lake, Orleans: 15,348 in 2023 was up from 10,987 in 2022, but the all-time high was 28,135 in 2018;
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Herring River, Eastham: 3,476 in 2023 was up from 1,327 in 2022, but the all-time high was 12,716 in 2018;
- Herring Brook, Eastham: 1,769 in 2023 was up from 823 in 2022, but the all-time high was 3,310 in 2018;
- Herring River, Wellfleet: All-time high of 65,529 in 2023, up from 47,384 in 2022;
The good news is twofold: 1) Two runs, the Herring River in Wellfleet and the Marstons Mills River (Mill Pond) saw their highest-ever run size estimates in 2023; and 2) Eleven runs had run size estimates that improved over 2022, which was a poor year for herring runs on the Cape.
The bad news is twofold: 1) Four runs decreased in 2023; and 2) Most runs saw their highest-ever run size estimates in past years (e.g., 2012, 2014 or 2018). Several runs that used to number in the ten thousand to several tens of thousands range have decreased to low numbers (less than a thousand) in recent years. Examples of diminishing runs include: Mill Creek in Sandwich, Bound Brook in Dennis, Tom Mathews Pond in Yarmouth, Red Lily Pond in Centerville, and Long Pond/Parkers River in Yarmouth. On a statewide basis, many herring runs saw their highest numbers in 2014, according to MassFisheries.
These mixed results indicate that while herring counts this year were generally better than last year, over the longer term of 5 to 11 years most herring runs have lower numbers than in past years when many runs saw their all-time highs. Herring still need protection throughout their life cycle in both freshwater and marine habitats, as well as restoration and protection of habitat. In marine waters, APCC believes that offshore industrial scale harvesting of herring is of significant concern and should be banned.
River herring, which include alewife and blueback herring, are listed as Species of Special Concern by NOAA and are considered to be critically important in the coastal food web. Since 2005, there has been an ongoing moratorium on river herring catch, sale and possession. In 2023, volunteer herring counters on Cape Cod counted river herring along 18 herring runs. The counts were conducted by at least 14 different organizations and groups led by their count coordinators. An estimated 250+ volunteers participate in herring counts along their runs.
Since 2007, APCC has coordinated a Cape-wide volunteer herring count program using a visual count method designed by MassFisheries. The visual count method provides an estimate of the number of herring migrating during the day. Volunteer counts provide valuable scientific data on herring populations and are used by fisheries managers to manage and protect herring stocks. Herring counts also help to document the need for restoration of fish runs and the success of restoration projects. APCC’s partners include the MassFisheries, the Massachusetts Bays National Estuary Partnership, NOAA Restoration Center, town herring wardens and organizations and last but not least, many volunteers.
The importance of volunteers was underscored by Eric Hutchins, fisheries habitat restoration specialist, NOAA Restoration Center who said, “I want to personally thank all the volunteers throughout Cape Cod who take the time out of their day to complete so many valuable river herring fish counts at over a dozen locations. The resulting data set is extremely valuable for assessing the status and trends of river herring. These results help with updating fishery management plans as well as prioritizing efforts for habitat restoration. This level of regional volunteer effort to count fish is unprecedented in this part of the United States and you should all be proud of your work!”
Thank you to the many volunteers who counted herring this year!
For more information, contact Dr. Jo Ann Muramoto, APCC’s director of science programs and MassBays regional coordinator for Cape Cod, at [email protected]. Learn more about APCC’s herring count program and see the Cape Cod Summary of Herring Runs 2007-2023.
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Learn about Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and integrating this science into your curriculum!
The instructors will be Dr. Mindy Richlen, biology department at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Dr. Julie Hambrook Berkman, APCC's pond and cyanobacteria program manager. Register now. |
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Give the Gift of an APCC Membership!
We offer three membership packages for the environmentalist in your life. $50|$75|$100 |
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| The Guidelines gives homeowners steps they can take in the design and maintenance of their properties that will support pollinators and birds, manage stormwater, conserve water, and protect the Cape's water quality. This 40-page booklet is beautifully illustrated by Marcy Ford with content that is easily digestible and supported by numerous resources for additional learning.
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We've enjoyed creating it and hope it will help you with ideas to help you steward your piece of Cape Cod and maybe foster an environmental ethic in the decisions we all make in our own managed landscapes. Get your copy here—and maybe one for a friend? |
We are partnering with several retail shops to make this publication more widely available: Brewster Book Store, Birdwatchers General Store, Crocker Nurseries, Wellfleet Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary, Cape Abilities Farm, Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, the Cape Cod Lavender Farm, Heritage Museums and Gardens, Titcomb's Bookshop, and Sea Howl Bookshop. If you are a retailer and would like to sell this publication at your store, contact Kristin at [email protected]. |
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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 boat 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. Spearheaded by the Nauset Garden Club in 2021, the pathway has grown to 44 organizations and 277 residential properties across Cape Cod that are dedicated to supporting pollinators.
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. Please get on the map to show your support of pollinators on Cape Cod!
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| APCC Caps are available for purchase! $25 includes shipping & handling
Click here for more information and to order.
This is one great way to show your support for APCC's work. |
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A Cape Cod Native Plant-selector
~ to help you choose the perfect native plant for your garden location. |
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| Sourwood Oxydendrum arboreum |
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| Rain Barrels for Cape Cod Order online from Upcycle Products $99 each includes FedEx shipping to your door APCC receives a portion of the proceeds.
For more information, click here. |
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| APCC Enewsletters. Our weekly newsletters are archived on our website and easily shared.
You can find past newsletters and share with your friends to sign up for future enewsletters 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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Expressions Gallery, 578 Main Street, Chatham
CLICK HERE |
Expressions Gallery donates 20 percent of its profits to APCC's work.
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Thank you to our business sponsors |
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APCC is rated four stars by Charity Navigator and 2023 Gold by Candid (formerly Guidestar). |
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