Officials must consistently follow the laws about protecting wetlands
All wetlands in town should be protected equally, per the laws, regardless of where they are located.
In response to the January 16 article “Contractor eyes détente with town over dirt piles,” clarity is needed on the scope of the issue and the wetland violations occurring at the town-owned 1175 Elm Street parcel next to the rotary.
There are wetlands, an intermittent stream, and jurisdictional buffer zones in this area where the large dirt piles were placed. There are laws and regulations regarding any disturbance to a wetland buffer zone that require a Notice of Intent (NOI) filed with the Natural Resources Commission (NRC). The NRC then needs to vote to grant an Order of Conditions wetland permit to the NOI applicant.
All wetlands in town should be protected equally, per the laws, regardless of where they are located. The large dirt piles were placed in a wetland buffer zone and also directly within a wetland without a permit to do so. These are clear violations of the wetland protection laws. Any other interpretation of what has occurred on this town-owned land, including trying to label me as a “bully” for bringing attention to this issue, is an attempt to distract from the larger problem at hand that all town residents should be very concerned about.
The town manager, the Select Board, the Natural Resources Division, and the NRC have all allowed the illegal disturbance of wetlands to occur for three years with no consequences, nor even an acknowledgment that a mistake may have been made that needs to be rectified. A double standard exists, whereby a contractor has now been allowed to disturb and fill wetlands with huge piles of fill placed on town land with no permit but town residents are required to obtain a permit and are scrutinized heavily for minor backyard projects located within a wetland buffer zone.
Contact the Select Board to demand wetland law compliance.
Keith Hannon
Nimrod Drive
Editor’s note: Acton’s town counsel has argued that Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection regulations state that the Natural Resources Commission may require filing of a notice of intent, but in some cases, may instead opt for a restoration plan.
