Approved
Comprehensive Wastewater Management Planning Committee
March 31, 2011, 10:30 pm
DPW Conference Room
Attendees: Alex Hay, Ned Hitchcock, Curt Felix, Bob Larsen, Hillary Greenberg-Lemos, Paul Millett, and Paul Gabriel and Christine Bates, Committee Secretary
Regrets: Lezli Rowell
Alex Hay called the meeting to order at 10:30 am.
Paul Gabriel of EPG and Andy Gottlieb from the Wastewater Collaborative were in attendance.
Gottlieb gave an overview of the Cape Cod Water Collaborative which was set up 5 years ago. He stated their goals are to share best practices, determine what has and hasn’t worked, and in five years 15 towns are involved. The Collaborative continues to look for funding assistance, raise public awareness, promote regionalization, and addressing affordability issues. He discussed state revolving funds, annual federal grants, matching federal money grants, and loan programs. He gave a history of the MA leverage program where money is put into reserve funds, which then is put into bonds. For towns that meet nutrient requirements, they must have a “no net flow increase”, allocating flows to different areas in the watershed. He stated towns can come forward with their
own plan, but may not meet the requirements. He discussed the various options for loans. Curt Felix questioned if Wellfleet could use the seasonal population versus the year round population, and Gottlieb responded yes because the population ratio is approximately 10 (seasonal) to 1 (year round). Alex Hay stated the committee will have to look at rezoning the downtime district. Andy recommended looking at the new regulations DEP recently incorporated.
Gottlieb gave a history of two legal actions between CLF and SMF, and potential issues with Barnstable County and the Cape Cod Commission. He will be working with state and federal agencies and identifying the Cape’s unique issues. Falmouth and Mashpee are pursuing oyster propagation as well.
Bob Prescott of the MA Audubon stated a 1689 State Ordinance has put up roadblocks to leave oysters in place. He is working with Nature Conservancy. Prescott stated there are 3 different permitting groups. Prescott stated we need massive reefs of oysters with varying ages. Felix stated Wellfleet is a model project to scientifically study the use of oysters for water quality and the town has received support from several agencies. Agent Greenberg-Lemos stated there is no quality assurance in place with Shellfish Warden Koch placing culch in the harbor, and we need to make sure it would meet the qualifications for money. Professor Anamarija Frankic and some of her students from UMASS Boston are willing to gather data and support these oyster propogation efforts. Gottlieb
stated there has to be a coherent strategy in place in order to approach the administration for money.
Prescott stated the only way information can get gathered is if the reefs of oysters are allowed to stay untouched and not harvested. Prescott stated Mike Hickey is the person to start with regarding changing any laws. Prescott stated they have gathered data on their reef.
Curt stated a camera could be put on the harbor to monitor the culch area to see the various changes plus monitor anyone getting near the oysters.
Gottlieb stated if Wellfleet is looking to make a “critical path”, he would work with Wellfleet. HG stated she would like to see the County pay for this.
Agent Greenberg-Lemos will submit a request to the county for financial support and copy the Board of Selectmen. Gottlieb stated elements can be shared to broaden the discussion with other towns and try to get this accredited.
Felix stated there is already data on nitrates in the Mayo Creek Restoration area and new data would be able to show whether water quality improves as a result of increasing the oysters there. There is data on Herring River and pointed out Herring River had been closed down for shellfishing for several years. He will supply analysis on Mayo/Duck.
The county does not have money for doing the work (monitoring, paying for equipment, etc).
Felix told Gottlieb there were approximately 5 different agencies/sources who have gathered data in the harbor some of which may be in conflict and was wondering if the County could support an effort to coordinate data collection for all users with a quality assurance program that would make it acceptable, possibly saving a great deal of money for the parties involved. He responded it was probably not possible.
The meeting adjourned at 12:15 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Christine A. Bates
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