A dangerous sand mining operation has been desecrating the environment and harming Massachusetts residents with emissions of dust and noise for years. Now, the company wants to expand.

Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Rebecca Tepper is accepting public comments on the plan – but only until June 22.

Our best chance to stop this expansion is to flood Secretary Tepper with public comments urging full environmental review and maximum measures to mitigate current impacts and avoid and minimize future harms. Please make sure to send your letter by June 22.

BACKGROUND:

In 2018, SLT Construction obtained a MEPA environmental review Certificate for a 43 acre of mostly undeveloped and undisturbed land on Spring Street in Carver and Plympton MA. The Certificate adopts SLT's description of the project. It says the sand mining and business park development will "alter 9.95 acres" and have "33.75 acres of open space". That open space is supposed to be used to "avoid, minimize and mitigate" the environmental damage from the 9.95 acre project. Now, almost the 43 acre-entire site has been strip mined and some warehouses built in Carver. SLT is seeking permission to build housing on the Plympton portion of the sand mine.

The company's project has:

·       Leveled Carver's highest hill,

·       Spews sand dust into Rickets Pond and nearby homes, and is a source of Respirable Crystalline Silica that causes irreversible lung disease according to experts,

·       Is mining without a permit according to a recent lawsuit by the Town of Plympton,

·       Mined at least $10 million in sand, according to the president's statement, and

·       Is within 5 miles of four Environmental Justice Neighborhoods.

Under the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) the expansion requires a "notice of project change" and a review to determine whether the plans "avoid, mitigate and minimize" damage to the environment.

Demand a full environmental study of the cumulative impacts of all the sand mining, business park, and housing development!

Take Action!

Click to the next step and write a letter.

You can view the entire MEPA submittal here.