Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary (EEA) Ian Bowles has announced that his Natural Resource Damages Assessment and Restoration Program has released a formal request for responses (RFR) inviting proposals for $960,000 in projects to restore, replace or acquire natural resources at the Massachusetts Military Reservation (MMR). MMR is a 20,000-acre area of Upper Cape Cod that includes the Massachusetts Air and Army National Guard and Coast Guard command centers.
The commonwealth claims that Textron Systems Corp.’s development and explosive testing of tactical weapons systems at MMR contaminated the groundwater with the hazardous material and weapons propellant perchlorate, an inorganic chemical that is highly mobile in water and can persist for years under typical conditions, as well as other hazardous substances.
As trustee of the commonwealth’s natural resources, Bowles has recovered from Textron $1 million in natural resource damages (NRDs) to compensate the public for natural resources and services lost due to Textron’s release of contaminants. The commonwealth’s primary goal is to restore, enhance or protect the Upper Cape’s interconnected and renewable groundwater resources. These resources are critical to ensuring the availability of safe drinking water, promoting sustainable development and sustaining water-dependent ecosystems.
“The restoration work we are funding will help to compensate the Upper Cape for years of groundwater pollution,” Bowles said. “I look forward to receiving a wide array of proposals aimed at protecting this region’s clean drinking water--a fundamental right for all of our citizens.”
Those eligible to apply for NRD funds include private individuals; local, state, federal and tribal governments; academic institutions; nonprofit organizations, consulting firms; and businesses. Proposed groundwater restoration projects must be located on Upper Cape Cod within the communities of Sandwich, Bourne, Falmouth or Mashpee. A bidder’s conference will be held on Jan. 26, at 1 p.m. at Bridge Bourne Hotel, where EEA will answer questions about this RFR and the NRD program in general.
The RFR is available electronically through the Comm-PASS system at www.comm-pass.com/. Applications are due March 11.
