Where are all the tractor trailer trucks loaded with sand and gravel coming from?
Volunteer group’s investigation led to Carver’s permitting body – the “Earth Removal Committee” (ERC) dominated by cranberry, trucking and mining interests revolving door of self dealing
Since 2021, three ERC members have resigned after questions raised about their self-dealing: Garretson, Shurtleff and Ieronimo all involved in sand mining, trucking while on the committee
As of 2024, ERC members have links to sand mining companies they regulate — Read more here about the Chair’s connections to the sand and gravel, trucking and cranberry business
Overview
In a municipal bylaw passed in 1990, Carver voters thought they were putting a lid on the destructive sand mining in their town. It was happening region wide. See the Bylaw below. Many towns passed earth removal bylaws then. Carver voters were hoodwinked. Since 1990, the Carver Earth Removal Committee that is supposed to allow mining only in specific circumstance has let the sand and gravel industry trample the Bylaw to the point where it is meaningless.
Today, the ERC is window dressing and covers up for the sand mining industry.
Is this how government regulation of the mining industry is supposed to work — or is this corruption in Cranberry Country USA?
Read more about the Massachusetts Office of Inspector General’s fraud state investigation.
Read more here in the Sand Wars in Cranberry Country Report about how mining companies evade earth removal bylaws.
Since Spring, 2021 CLWC has been exposing the self-dealing, corruption and conflicts of interest of the Carver Earth Removal Committee (ERC). The ERC’s job is to protect the health, safety and general welfare of Carver residents — to protect them and the environment from strip mines.
Below: Fox Guarding the Chicken Coop? Carver ERC meets in the basement of Carver Town Hall, April 22, 2021. This is one of the first known recordings of the ERC. Left to right: Richard Ward, Jim Nauen, Gary Garretson, John Shurtleff III, Robert Ieronimo
ERC July 2021 meeting below (part 1) and here (part 2).
Above: John Shurtleff, III and Robert Ieronimo
This Post and others explain the self dealing and corruption that continues to plague the ERC, some three years later. While some long time members resigned when the public put the spotlight on their dealings, the Town has just replace them with new members with ties to industry, including sand mining giant AD Makepeace Cranberry Co. of Wareham.
2021 to 2022: Exposing ERC Chair Garretson and member Shurtleff — who then resigns
At the April 29, 2021 ERC meeting then-Chair John “Gary” Garretson makes excuses for the shady activities of the cranberry industry hauling sand in Carver. Garretson claims Jim Kane of AD Makepeace didn’t know the rules about earth removal. Who is kidding who? There were several ERC meetings, recorded by CLWC where Garretson, Shurtleff and Ieronimo all admit doing business with Makepeace. All three eventually resigned. All three served on the ERC for 18 years to up to 30 years (Garretson) while the ERC gave out dozens of permits worth hundreds of millions in sand revenue. Most permits went to AD Makepeace Cranberry Co.
In a September 28, 2022 letter to the Carver Earth Removal Committee, CLWC demanded an investigation, forensic audit and penalties for the unlawful removal of vast amounts of sand and gravel from Carver by the former chair of the ERC, John Garretson III, President and owner of Slocum-Gibbs Cranberry. See the letter above. While he was Chair, the ERC gave Garretson a permit and was responsible for enforcing the Bylaw and the permit — against himself!
A related permit document showed long time ERC member Records show long time ERC member John Shurtleff, Jr. of Triple J Screening and Trucking had a “license” to do the trucking for Garretson while he was also on the ERC. Garretson told a representative of CLWC that he was keeping public records relating to his permit at his home — a blatant violation of the state public records law.
Read the details and see the documents showing Garretson’s mining operations in Carver in the Sand Wars in Cranberry Country Report here.
The Carver ERC had no records of any Earth Removal Permit issued for Garretson’s two sites, no records that the projects are exempt from the Earth Removal Bylaw, and no records that Garretson paid the earth removal fees due to the Town under the Bylaw. Here are the only known ERC records produced by the Town.
At least one of the Selectboard members also knew or should have known of this scheme by Slocum-Gibbs, since she (Sarah Hewins) was employed by the Town as Conservation Agent when it issued an Order of Conditions for this obvious sand and gravel mining ruse.
A two sites, Garretson and his company Slocum Gibbs mined about 650,000 cubic yards of sand and gravel. The sites are 27-acres on Tremont Street and 10-acres on a large parcel on Wareham Street in Carver. (Links are to Drone Videos of the sites).
New ERC Chair Ieronimo resigns, July, 2023
After Garretson resigned, long time (at least 18 year) ERC member Robert Ieronimo took over as ERC chair. He presided over a public hearing for SLT Construction that a Superior Court judge called a “sham.” He admitted on record that he buys sand from Makepeace. He voted on the permit for the ERC chair, Garretson in 2010 and as a member of the ERC was supposed to ensure Garretson was paying fees and not violating the Bylaw. After his self dealing was exposed, he resigned in July 2023. See minutes below, showing he is not listed as a member.
John Mason, AD Makepeace employee, put on ERC
August 2022
The Selectboard appointed John Mason to the ERC in August 2022. Mason works for sand mining giant AD Makepeace Cranberry Co. and has worked for Slocum Gibbs Cranberry Co. He has blatant conflicts of interest. In the past 2 years, he has been present ERC meeting where compliance with the Bylaw and site visits at AD Makepeace sites have been discussed. This includes meetings in April and May 2024 where the ERC has been discussing the earth removal fees to be charged to sand and gravel mining operators, including the largest operator, AD Makepeace Cranberry Co.
July 2, 2024 Agenda: Mason participates in discussions about “load counts” impacting his employer AD Makepeace. Watch the video here.
May 28, 2024 Agenda: Mason participates in discussions impacting his employer AD Makepeace. Watch the video here:
At 55:23 Mason states, “I am an employee of AD Makepeace”. He goes on to promote the importance of sand mining for AD Makepeace and its cranberry operations.
April 2024 Agenda: The agenda states they will discuss AD Makepeace site walk at 2 locations, Carver Cranberry Growers ‘notice’ sheet, ‘peak loads’ discussion, ‘rate of fees’ — all topics involving AD Makepeace. See the recording here. Mason participates in the meeting and deliberates on all these agenda items relating to his employer, Makepeace. See “Fee” discussion starting at about minute 45.
February 2024 Minutes: Site walk at AD Makepeace and permit hearing for AD Makepeace to be discussed.
In March, 2023, Mason moved to appoint Alan Germain, truck hauler for SLT Construction and other sand and gravel operations to the ERC. Germain did not take the post.
In August, 2023 Town adds Scott Hannula of Oiva Hannula Cranberry and Roger Shores, Jr. in 2024 to the ERC
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