Once again, MassDEP sides with the cranberry growers destroying our wetlands and waterways. On July 20, 2022, MassDEP issued a “negative” superseding determination of applicability under the state Wetlands Protection Act exempting Edgewood Bogs from the law. Save the Pine Barrens brought a petition to require Edgewood to comply with the wetlands law. Carver Conservation Commission did nothing. So STPB appealed to DEP. DEP said the 400,000 cubic yard earth removal operation is merely an agricultural operation and though it is mining in the aquifer and near wetlands, is not required to comply with the wetlands law.
Who is kidding who? This massive mining operation got a permit from the Carver Earth Removal Committee in 2019 to mine out sand and gravel to allegedly build cranberry bog “reservoir.” How many times have we heard that hoax?
Does this look like a real cranberry bog operation or a cover-up for strip mining about $ 4 million in sand and gravel? Why won’t DEP actually enforce the law?
Save the Pine Barrens tried to enforce the wetlands law to stop this project from threatening our groundwater and wetlands. DEP sided with the cranberry grower. Did you know that the cranberry industry pays half the salary for a special DEP staff person to help cranberry growers with compliance?
Edgewood seeking taxpayer subsidies to “restore” a bog while strip mining our wetlands
To make matters worse, the state environmental officials are spending taxpayer money to pay Edgewood to “restore” a small cranberry bog. This is the epitome of the cranberry hoax.
Read January 2022 comments to MEPA here showing the location of the strip mine and the “restoration”.