An apocalyptic event for the history books, or just the kind of significant snowfall we used to expect every January? It depends on who’s delivering the forecast or writing the headline. But there is a major storm headed this way, on top of brutally cold temperatures that arrived during the early morning hours of Saturday. […]
Category: Environment & Health
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Controversial condo development would overlook toxic waste site
It’s a beautiful location offering sweeping harbor views. But Pulte Homes’ proposed six-story condo building on Sandri Drive also overlooks a mostly empty expanse of weeds and trees once declared a toxic waste site by federal environmental authorities. It is the Plymouth Harbor/Cannon Engineering Corp. Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site, where officials found lead, fuel […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Reports of dead birds prompt avian flu warning
The avian flu is apparently back, nearly a year after its presence resulted in the deaths of hundreds – if not thousands – of birds in lakes and ponds across town. Officials have received “several reports of deceased waterfowl” in recent days, according to a press release from communications coordinator Casey Kennedy. The town is […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Town ringing in new year with a ban on Styrofoam containers
As of New Year’s Day, expanded polystyrene containers – better known by the brand name Styrofoam – will be banned in Plymouth restaurants and take-out establishments, including supermarkets that serve prepared foods. The town is joining more than 60 cities and towns across Massachusetts in banning the containers, which are considered a threat to people’s […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Harvard study finds proximity to nuclear plants increases cancer risk
A new Harvard University study has found that cancer risk may increase with proximity to nuclear power plants, including the now shut down Pilgrim station in Manomet. “We found that living near nuclear power plants increases the risk for cancer,” said Petros Koutrakis, professor of environmental sciences at Harvard’s T. H. Chan School of Public […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
He’s responsible for more than 100 square miles of water
Chad Hunter covers a lot of ground in his job. Make that water. As Plymouth’s harbormaster, Hunter’s domain is larger than you might think. It extends well beyond what’s visible from atop Coles Hill. Three miles out to sea from any land point in Plymouth and all its many ponds are within his jurisdiction. That’s […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Fernandes seeks to halt venting of radioactive vapor at Pilgrim
State Senator Dylan Fernandes has introduced legislation that would prevent Holtec Decommissioning International from venting radioactive vapor at the former Pilgrim nuclear power plant in Manomet until state officials can evaluate the potential effect on Plymouth and surrounding communities. “We want a study on this to find out what the impact is, confirm that it […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
How did a giant wind turbine blade end up in a bog?
A week after a blade from a 300-foot-tall wind turbine fell into a cranberry bog on Head of the Bay Road, RWE, the company that owns the project, says it’s already begun an “exhaustive” analysis of the incident with Spanish company Siemens Gamesa, which built and maintains the equipment. “The project has been shut down […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Holtec appears unlikely to win appeal of radioactive water ruling
An appeals officer for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection is recommending that the state uphold its decision to deny Holtec Decommissioning International’s request to dump more than 800,000 gallons of treated radioactive water from the former Pilgrim nuclear power station into Cape Cod Bay. Holtec is decommissioning the Pilgrim plant in Manomet, which […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
On the road again: Section of Water St. to be dug up
Pardon us if this story sounds too familiar. Water Street will soon be dug up for the third time since 2023, with traffic detoured through early spring. That’s because a contractor needs to repair a relatively new sewer line that has settled, which could cause waste to back up. Northern Construction is expected to start […]