On behalf of the Taunton River Watershed Alliance (TRWA), the Wild and Scenic Taunton River Stewardship Council (TRSC) and our membership both organizations submitted comments to the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) Office on the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Report: Lakeshore Center Phase 4 Bridgewater, MA Dated September 15, 2023 submitted by Claremont Companies. Click on this link for our comments.
This is the fourth phase of major Claremont Company development in the small Lake Nippenicket headwaters sub-watershed. TRWA and TRSC believe the lake and sub-watershed are already clearly showing adverse impact from previously completed phases.
As we did in previous comments on June 14, 2022 and January 22, 2023 we asked the applicant to show that the Lake Nippenicket sub-watershed and Raynham well’s aquifer have capacity to assimilate the phosphorus, bacteria and toxics (metals, PFAS, organics) from the impervious surfaces of both the existing and proposed phases of development.
The evidence available indicates that this sensitive site which was designated an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) in 1989 has reached its full development potential. Lake Nippenicket and the Raynham Center Water District’s aquifer are over their capacity to absorb more pollution. The company has not monitoring Lake Nippenicket and the aquifer to determine what further measures are needed to mitigate the water quality harm from their already completed phases of development.
The Taunton River Watershed Alliance, Inc. (TRWA), and the Wild & Scenic Taunton River Stewardship Council (TRSC) requested that a MEPA approval not be granted and further expansion of this development be prohibited.