Plymouth: AD Makepeace mining operation under the ruse of cranberry agriculture exposed

December 6, 2022

AD Makepeace blatantly abuses the process for obtaining permits under the Mass Endangered Species Act

State officials look the other way, pretend Plymouth mining operations are “cranberry agriculture”

Hundreds of acres of Priority Habitat for rare and endangered Pine Barrens plants and animals being obliterated

Above: Location of AD Makepeace 217-acre strip mine. The company is trying to claim this is a “agriculture project” to build 136 acres of cranberry bogs and reservoirs, pumps and canals. Below: strip mine will destroy globally rare habitat designated for conservation by the state.

Priority Habitat being for rare and endangered species being destroyed by AD Makepeace strip mine, State DFG goes along

AD Makepeace 140 acre mining project in Priority Habitat 507 and adjacent to Priority Habitat 601 Source: MassMapper https://maps.massgis.digital.mass.gov/MassMapper/MassMapper.html

The state’s top environmental official, Secretary of Energy & Environmental Affairs, continues to cover up for AD Makepeace, pretending this is “agriculture.” The state ignores the hundreds of trucks a day hauling sand and gravel illegally mined to supply Makepeace’s Read Custom Soils aggregate processing and sales facility. As shown on the map below, Makepeace’s Read Custom Soils is abutting the 2014- acre Plymouth strip mine where the company is mining at least 7.2 million cubic yards according to its Town permit application.

AD Makepeace’s Read Custom Soils, less than 1/2 mile from the 140 acre Plymouth mining site

Makepeace brags it is strip mining its “enormous reserves” of sand and gravel in Plymouth and Carver:

From AD Makepeace Read Custom Soils: www.readcustomsoils.com

Within a one mile radius ADM Makepeace is strip mining at least 14 million cubic yards of sand and gravel according to permits in Carver and Wareham. More is being mined without permits under the pretense that the sand and gravel is being used to maintain and restore Makepeace’s 1,700 acres of bogs.

AD Makepeace has at least 4 large mining sites within about a 1 mile radius in Plymouth and Carver. Source: Mass Mapper. Yellow is Priority Habitat under Mass. Endangered Species Act.

AD Makepeace mining locations: south Plymouth & Carver’s Read Custom Soils

Some AD Makepeace mining and solar sites surrounding Read Custom Soils, Carver, Plymouth, Wareham MA. 2022.

List of sites corresponding to numbers in map above.

Carver: SLT Construction conducts massive mining operation as “site preparation” for “Rickets Pond Business Park”

August 21, 2022

Watch drone footage of this site on Route 44 here

After Carver zoning board covers for another sand and gravel mining operation group sues

Lawsuit aims to protect drinking water, residents and homes

The Carver Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) refuses to enforce the zoning law to stop illegal mining. On July 19, 2022, for the second time, the ZBA invented a legal argument to avoid enforcing the law, this time against SLT’s illegal mining in the “Spring Street Innovative District”. On August 18, 2022, Save the Pine Barrens sued in Superior Court. In late 2023, the residents decided to withdraw the case and pursue other options.

Background

In January 2022, on behalf of residents who tried for years to get local officials to stop SLT’s violations, STPB stepped in with legal help. STPB sent letter under General Laws Chapter 40A and the bylaw asking the building inspector to enforce the bylaw and stop the violations The building inspector denied the request. With lawyers, STPB took the next required legal step and appealed to the ZBA.

Under the law, the ZBA had to have hearings, like a trial, to hear from both sides on whether to stop the violations.

2022.01.28.ZBA-Appeal-Letter-SLT Download

Carver ZBA hearing: a sham

At the first hearing, the ZBA claimed Save the Pine Barrens didn’t have legal standing. When presented with the law that says we do, Chairman Grey and Vice Chair Clark had to back down. At the last hearing on July 19, 2022, the Chair concocted a legal argument and claimed the ZBA doesn’t have “jurisdiction” to enforce the zoning law. He denied the appeal. STPB’s lawyers filed the August 18, 2022 lawsuit to overturn the ZBA’s illegal decision and enforce the law.

This isn’t the first time ZBA Chairman Gray invented a novel legal argument to cover up for a strip mining company. In September 2021 he denied Save the Pine Barrens request for enforcement of the zoning law against strip mining company AD Makepeace saying we didn’t pay the filing fee. We appealed that to court. Read more here.

Carver: Whistleblowers: SLT Construction mining site, Spring Street

July 22, 2022

Our grassroots network is monitoring and reporting violations.

We are exposing the strip mine operators and others damaging our environment, water and communities and the local officials who cover up for them.

Drop a dime! If you know of a site or any violations, get in touch!

Thursday, September 8, 2022

Location: SLT strip mining site Spring Street

Violation of condition requiring street be kept clean of dust

Thursday, July 21, 2022 approximately 3 p.m.

Location: Route 44 highway, Carver MA

Showing sand from SLT’s mining site blowing across Route 44 and toward Rickets Pond. Photographer name upon request.

SLT’s two mining permits from the Carver Earth Removal Committee prohibit emissions of dust and sand from the site. The state and local wetlands laws ban emissions of sand to Rickets Pond and wetlands. This sand is blowing in the direction of Rickets Pond and wetlands. This has been going on for five years.

Reported to all Carver officials. No response.

Where is SLT’s “water truck” that is supposed to be used for dust suppression?

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