Please Sign Our Petition

More Public Involvement Needed!

The Town of Plymouth has submitted a permit request with the state to discharge an additional 1.75 million gallons per day of wastewater in Camelot Park. This represents a 300% increase in the current ground discharge at the headwaters of the Eel River Watershed flowing through Chiltonville (see map below).

The permit request was presented to the Select Board on December 12, 2023, where Board Chairman Quintal asked, “[have you] reached out to the neighbors about this?”… answer: one public meeting was held in October with no outreach to the residents.

A 300% increase in ground water discharge and only one public meeting was held? This is a MAJOR change to which numerous public meetings should have been held prior to a permit request submission.

What can you do?

This decision will not only effect Eel River, but also our sole-source aquifer and our harbor. Fortunately, we are NOT currently violating any of our wastewater permits or licenses that would force us to make a rush decision, and therefore, this is a perfect opportunity to do the right thing for all of Plymouth (rather than simply move pollution from one spot to another).

Please click here to sign this petition asking the Plymouth Select Board to appoint a Citizen’s Advisory Committee to participate in this process and ensure the public is aligned and approve of an approach that’s best for the town.

This is a BIG issue – and the Town should be required to do a FULL environmental impact statement. Instead it is trying to cut corners using the original 1990s environmental study for the facility. So much has changed since 1990! Climate change, new types of chemicals being found in wastewater such as PFAS and pharmaceuticals. Why would we discharge this directly to our sole source aquifer without further study? A coalition of groups is calling for a study to have the wastewater pumped to the Pine Hills Golf Courses where it can be reused and filtered. Other municipalities do this with their wastewater. Why not Plymouth? Read more here. https://communitylandandwater.org/plymouth-plan-proposed-to-increase-wastewater-discharge-to-drinking-water-aquifer/

Did you know Plymouth is also doing an environmental study to expand the airport? That needs a better study too! Comments due Jan. 8, 2023! Sign the letter campaign! https://communitylandandwater.org/calendar/comments-due-to-mepa-and-epa-on-plymouth-airport-expansion/

2 thoughts on “Please Sign Our Petition”

Catherine McKenna says:
January 5, 2024 at 12:05 pm
Wow – thanks so much for bringing this to our attention – had no idea! Will share this post with others.
Meg Sheehan says:
January 5, 2024 at 5:06 pm
This is a BIG issue – and the Town should be required to do a FULL environmental impact statement. Instead it is trying to cut corners using the original 1990s environmental study for the facility. So much has changed since 1990! Climate change, new types of chemicals being found in wastewater such as PFAS and pharmaceuticals. Why would we discharge this directly to our sole source aquifer without further study? A coalition of groups is calling for a study to have the wastewater pumped to the Pine Hills Golf Courses where it can be reused and filtered. Other municipalities do this with their wastewater. Why not Plymouth? Read more here. https://communitylandandwater.org/plymouth-plan-proposed-to-increase-wastewater-discharge-to-drinking-water-aquifer/
Did you know Plymouth is also doing an environmental study to expand the airport? That needs a better study too! Comments due Jan. 8, 2023! Sign the letter campaign! https://communitylandandwater.org/calendar/comments-due-to-mepa-and-epa-on-plymouth-airport-expansion/