On March 21, 2024, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection hosted a meeting at their headquarters in Boston where we talked about Alewife Brook Water Quality. The main topic was the issuance of a new Alewife Brook CSO ‘variance’, which would allow MWRA, Cambridge, and Somerville to continue to dump untreated sewage into Alewife Brook until they have a new approved sewage pollution control plan.
Save the Alewife Brook Steering Committee members were psyched to meet at DEP HQ along with other river advocates from the Mystic River and Charles River Watershed Associations. Also present were folks from Cambridge, Somerville, and the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority.
What we talked about:
* Sewage Flooding in the Alewife Path.
* Sewage Flooding in people’s homes.
* Sewage Flooding that made people sick.
* A solar powered on-site sewage warning system with colored beacon lights.
* The need to improve conditions in the Brook now, before the new sewage pollution control plan goes into effect.
We were so grateful for the opportunity to meet with MassDEP.
Thank you, MassDEP!
And we have some great news to share:
MassDEP has agreed to hold a special public hearing in early April for the Alewife.
You will be invited to come to that hearing and speak out for Alewife Brook.
The Brook needs you there, so MassDEP will continue to see that many people support ending the dumping of raw sewage in the Brook. Please plan to join us.
There is power in numbers! Stay tuned for details about the upcoming hearing.