Tag Archive for: Garretson

Cranberry Agriculture? Residential Subdivision? Business Park? Or sand and gravel mine?

February 4, 2023

Schemes to evade municipal bylaws include “cranberry agriculture”, “subdivision road,” “site preparation” for industrial solar, and residential and commercial projects that never materialize as promised by developers or do not actually require earth removal at all

Plymouth, Carver, Wareham and other town officials complicit, issue permits for projects that do not actually require massive earth removal in order to be constructed

In Dec. 2022, Mass. Dept. of Agriculture doles out $ 1 million in “cranberry renovation grants” to some of the worst strip mine offenders as politicians heap praise

Under numerous scams, a network of interconnected landowners, public officials and trucking companies conduct industrial sand and gravel mining to extract lucrative earth materials for commercial sale. Under Massachusetts law earth removal is regulated at the municipal level. It is prohibited except under certain exemptions. This network exploits the loopholes with the help of engineers, lawyers and town officials.

In a coordinated pattern for decades, this network obtains “earth removal permits” — or in some towns like Wareham don’t get them at all, claiming it is exempt from the law because it is agriculture. It is not agriculture at all but industrial sand and gravel mining.

Sand and gravel mining operators describe their projects in different ways to get permits. These include:

Cranberry agriculture, building a cranberry bog or “renovating” a bog, building a reservoir or “tailwater recovery pond” – this includes AD Makepeace, Slocum Gibbs Cranberry, Johnson Brothers Cranberry, EJ Pontiff and dozens more

Commercial development – such as Colony Place or 10 Collins Ave./Spencer in Plymouth

Residential subdivision – such as Spencer/Yellow Maple LLC/Sheava Development in Plymouth

Commercial subdivision – such as SLT Construction in Plymouth

Is this mining really necessary to build these projects?

Carver Earth Removal Committee – Who’s Who

John Garretson, III, ERC Chairman from about 1990 to 2021, owner and operator of Slocum Gibbs Cranberry. While he was ERC Chair, he conducted over a decade of mining operations removing up to a million cubic yards of sand and gravel (worth $9 million) from two sites owned by his company Slocum Gibbs. Garretson’s company obtained one ERC permit from his Committee under the pretense of “Agricultural Excavation” for mining on his Tremont Street property. Garretson conducted mining on his Wareham Street property with no ERC permit. Read the demand for enforcement to the Carver ERC here and Ethics Complaint here. No response from Ethics Commission received as of 10/12/2022; no response from the ERC.

Garretson was pivotal in granting at least five Earth Removal Permits to AD Makepeace from 2008 to 2020. For example, the 2019 and 2020 permits to Makepeace were signed by Garretson (as well as Shurtleff and Ieronimo, also with conflicts of interest — see below). Garretson staged pretenses of “public hearings” and ignored reports of violations. For almost two decades he allowed AD Makepeace to conduct industrial sand and gravel mining under the pretense of “Agricultural Excavation.” Garretson has business and personal relationships with the CEO of AD Makepeace, Jim Kane and a Garretson relative, Terry Gibbs works for AD Makepeace’s Read Custom Soils.

Behind Southeastern Massachusetts cranberry bogs lies a corrupt web of sand and gravel mining. Corporations posing as cranberry farms get mining permits under the false pretense of Agricultural Excavation. Photo: cranberry bog and mining operation, Carver MA — Behind Southeastern Massachusetts cranberry bogs lies a corrupt web of sand and gravel mining. Corporations posing as cranberry farms obtain mining permits under the false pretense of Agricultural Excavation. Photo: cranberry bog and mining operation, Carver MA This site was mined by Gary Garretson, Chair of the Carer Earth Removal Committee for 30 years. Garretson gave his company, Slocum Gibbs Cranberry, a permit to strip mine this site under the false pretense of building a cranberry bog. Fellow Committee member, cranberry “farmer” and trucker John Shurtleff III did the trucking for Garretson while on the ERC. Today, Shurtleff continues to haul sand for Makepeace, Foley Farms and more, profiting from his illegally granted permits. Garretson is seeking permits from the Town Planning Board and Conservation Commission for a subdivision development “Gibbs Drive. He continues to appear before Town boards claiming he’s entitled to more privileges from the Town.

John Shurtleff, Jr. owner and operator of Triple J Screening and Trucking, Shurtleff Sand & Stone, member of ERC for decades, resigned suddenly in 2021. Shurtleff trucks sand and gravel for AD Makepeace (details available on request), SLT Construction, and trucked from Garretson/Slocum Gibbs site on Tremont Street. Shurtleff signed Earth Removal Permits for AD Makepeace and SLT Construction during the time when he was trucking sand and gravel for these companies. Shurtleff signed permits for AD Makepeace when he knew or should have known Makepeace’s earth removal operations were being done under the pretense of “Agricultural Excavation.” Shurtleff knew or should have known SLT’s “subdivision preparation” at the Rickets Pond Business Park was a ruse for sand and gravel mining.

Shurtleff is also owner and operator of River’s Edge Realty, which sold land to Foley Farms for earth removal on Rochester Road/Jabez Bridge Road in Carver. Shurtleff participated in overseeing the first ERC permit given to Foley Farm in about 2019. Foley obtained a second permit in 2021 after Shurtleff abruptly resigned from the ERC. Shurtleff continued to haul sand and gravel from the Foley site. Foley obtained both Earth Removal Permits from the ERC under the pretense of Agricultural Excavation for cranberry bogs and a “blueberry farm.” Foley and Shurtleff appear to be involved with AGDA-Haseotis conducting earth removal in Carver. AGDA also conducting earth removal in East Bridgewater. Enforcement demand involving Shurtleff here, Ethics Complaint here and Ethics Commission warning letter regarding Shurtleff here.

Shurtleff Sand & Stone hauling sand and gravel from Foley Farms mining site, Rochester Road, Carver MA on March 29, 2022. Details available on request.

SLT ERC truck log, December 2018 showing “Shurtleff Trailer” trucking 32.8 cubic yards of sand and gravel from the SLT Spring Street site. “AGT #97” is also listed. AGT is Carver Conservation Commission member Alan Germain of Alan Germain Trucking.

Robert Ieronimo, current chair of ERC, member of ERC since about 2006. Owns and operates New England Excavation. For years worked for AD Makepeace excavating and trucking sand and gravel. Owns cranberry bogs. Ethics Complaint here and Ethics Commission warning letter on Ieronimo here. He conducts sham public hearings, such as the farce on January 25, 2023 when he did not know the basic duties of a chair to open and close a public hearing. He conducted the hearing even though the permit applications for the two projects had only been submitted to the ERC, allegedly, that day. The public was effectively denied access to the permits that were the subject of the public hearings.

James Nauen, member of ERC and Conservation Commission for decades – resigned, 2022. Provided cover and rubber stamps fpr all permits for sand and gravel industry. Signed numerous permits for AD Makepeace and others for earth removal under the pretense of “Agricultural Excavation.” Also served on the Carver Conservation Commission rubber stamping permits.

Richard “Dick” Ward, member of ERC for decades. Cranberry bog owner, rubber stamps earth removal permits, son Steve Ward works as a consultant helping to permit ground mounted solar projects on cranberry bogs and locations where sand and gravel permits have been granted by the ERC. Steve Ward conducts earth removal himself. Dick Ward is self-proclaimed member of the Southeastern Mass “Cranberry Cosa Nostra” according to this newspaper article:

2013 Profile of Carver Selectboard Candidates: “Issue 3: Sustainable agricultural tax base. Our main industry is cranberries. My opponent has called the cranberry industry, of which I am a part, the “Cranberry Cosa Nostra.” Instead of calling our main industry the mafia, shouldn’t we be trying to encourage this industry to be sustainable? It’s our primary tax base! The industry helps support us and our tax base, so I’m an advocate of working with this industry.”

Ward voted on and signed numerous Earth Removal Permits including two in 2017 and 2019 for AD Makepeace sand and gravel removal under the pretense of “Agricultural Excavation.”

Carver ERC: who was sworn in when, 2013 to August 2022.

John Mason, ERC member appointed by the Selectboard, August 2022. Works for AD Makepeace and Slocum Gibbs Cranberry. Both companies conduct earth removal under cover of permits from the ERC.

Carver Conservation Commission – Who’s Who

Alan Germain, member, Vice Chair, owns and operates AGT trucking. Trucks sand and gravel for SLT Construction, including at SLT’s Spring Street, Carver mining site. Participates in Conservation Commission matters involving SLT’s wetlands permitting. Read the Ethics Complaint here. State Ethics Commission warning letter states it “does not mean your complaint is without merit.” In addition to the ERC, Germain is also Chair of the Carver Finance Committee and vice Chair of Carver Conservation Commission.

Germain has been involved in efforts to obtain Planning Board permits for commercial buildings in SLT’s Rickets Pond Business Park located on the mining site on Spring Street (Planning Board public hearing videos available on Area 58 cable TV). Carver Concerned Citizens filed a show cause petition to remove him from the Conservation Commission for inappropriate behavior and conflicts of interest. The Carver Selectboard refused to hold a public show cause hearing and is complicit in Germain’s actions.

Carver Selectboard appoints ERC members and is responsible

John Cotter, Selectboard member and former or present comptroller at AD Makepeace Co.

Sarah Hewins, former Conservation Agent, now member of Selectboard. As Carver Conservation Agent, oversaw granting wetlands permits to sand and gravel mining operations such as Alex Johnson Cranberry and Bette Maki on Meadow Street. Now responsible for appointing members of the ERC.

Carver’s Weston Family: cranberries, sand and gravel mining, and Cranberry Point 2018 Battery Bomb zoning change

The Weston family is heavily involved in cranberry operations and sand and gravel removal. In addition, a zoning change was orchestrated in 2018 to dupe Carver voters into changing zoning to allow industrial scale battery storage in residential-agricultural districts. This made it possible for Gary & Craig Weston to lease their land to Cranberry Point-Power Plus for a controversial 150-MW battery storage facility.

The Weston family involvement in the sand and gravel removal and cranberry industry includes:

Gary and Craig Weston: Franklin Marsh LLC massive sand mining operation under the false pretense of Agricultural Excavation, Plymouth Street, Carver and Wareham. In January 2023, with Beals+Thomas the Weston’s scammed Plymouth into approving 5 acres of “floating solar” – 5 acres is just below the limit for a special permit — on their new “cranberry reservoir.” Now they get to profit and scam again.

Gary and Craig Weston, via realty trust, benefit from 2018 zoning change so they can lease land to Power Plus for battery bomb facility

Gary Weston: manager for massive sand and gravel mining operation by Federal Furnace Cranberry, Carver MA

Elaine and Eric Weston: Earth removal permit under the false pretense of Agricultural Excavation, 2021.

Elaine Weston: works for Town of Carver as assistant to Town Administrator; former Earth Removal Committee secretary for years, including while family members obtained Earth Removal Permits. Was responsible for Public Records Responses by Carver ERC.

Cranberry Country Corruption? In 2021 grassroots investigation starts to shine the light on mining in Southeastern Massachusetts

September 28, 2022

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?

Johnson Cranberries mining site, Meadow Street, Carver MA — A mining operation begun in 2010 leveled a 100 foot hill and mined in the groundwater creating this mining pond, claiming this is cranberry agriculture. The Carver ERC went along. MassDEP defends this a cranberry agriculture. It is now an open pit mine. Location: Meadow Street, Carver MA. Photo taken in 2023.

Carver-Earth-Removal-Bylaw-7-pages Download

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

View the video here.

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.

09.28.22__ERC-Demand-for-Enforcement-Slocum-Gibbs Download

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).

2015: Tremont Street: Slocum-Gibbs dug a pond to extract sand and gravel from the Plymouth Carver Sole Source Aquifer. This photo shows sand being mined from the aquifer and washed on site. Sand is washed to remove silt to improve its marketability.

2019: Slocum Gibbs mining site on Tremont Street, Carver: sorting sand and gravel.

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.

7-26-23_minutes Download

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.