MassDEP

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Uxbridge Citizens for Clean Water is an issue advocacy group working to increase understanding of the potential risks to public and private wells from dumping of unregulated soils across Central Massachusetts. In 2014 soil brokers began moving contaminated soil from large construction sites in Boston, and elsewhere, to small communities across Mass... achusetts, including Uxbridge. This followed a change in the law that allowed unregulated soils to be dumped almost anywhere, with only voluntary oversight from MassDEP at the project's discretion. Prior to 2014, these soils were limited to landfill capping and other tightly regulated projects. After 2014, the industry was allowed to self-regulate. In Uxbridge, the sites chosen for two dump sites are directly over a regionally vital aquifer. This area has a large population on private wells drawing from the Blackstone Aquifer. The companies and soil brokers operating in Uxbridge had a long line of non-compliance orders and court awards, often upaid, in the tens of millions of dollars. These types of projects have strong political connections on Beacon Hill and are supported with well-funded lobbying efforts. A local citizen's group began working to bring attention to the practices and was successful in passing local bylaws to protect the public interests of health, safety, and protection of vital resouces. Cease and desist orders were issued against the two projects in February 2017. One project locked its gates; the other continued to operate. In February 2018 a preliminary injunction was granted against the active site and soil importation ceased in Uxbridge. The Appeals court upheld the preliminary injunction and cases are continuing in Worcester Superior Court and the Land Court. A contaminated well was documented by MassDEP across the street from one site. MassDEP is now testing 50 additional wells. There are nine known sites with similar operations across the Commonwealth who have opted for voluntary oversight from MassDEP. There may be a large number of ...Read More