Carver: AD Makepeace/REDP “dual use” solar project using toxic CCA poles
As of October 2022, its been a year since local residents exposed Makepeace’s plan to use cancer-causing copper chromated arsenic poles to mount “dual use” solar panels on a Swan Holt bogs on Pond/Wenham Street
Public, neighbors kept in the dark about plan to drive arsenic poles into water and cranberry bog
This is more Cranberry Country Corruption, closed door deals, cover up, abysmal failure of State’s “dual use” solar program
Project developers Renewable Energy Development Partners (REDP) are former Makepeace executives, responsible for destroying 25-acres of critical ecosystems in Plymouth in 2016 for solar
At this site and others, AD Makepeace uses cranberry agriculture as a ruse to cover up sand and & gravel mining and industrial energy projects
AD Makepeace sand & gravel mining at this site is ruse for preparing the site for solar; clear-cutting forested lands, creating a “farm” for “dual use solar’
Wasting ratepayer and taxpayer money under pretense of agriculture, clean energy – $ 2 million project
Update: October 15, 2022: It appears Makepeace is shaving the CCA fromTime the poles and inserting them in the ground. Is this safe? Who approved this? Read more here.
Timeline
2022: AD Makepeace & REDP installing poles that appear to be modified from original CCA treated
October 14, 2022: AD Makepeace REDP “solar canopy” site, Swan Holt bogs, Carver MA installing shaved poles.
2021: Watchdogs expose arsenic poles, form Pull the Poles Campaign
October 10, 2021: Watchdogs expose Makepeace use of CCA treated poles
October 20, 2021: State, Carver Selectboard, Planning Board, Carver Conservation Commission refuse to address residents’ concerns with the CCA poles at this site striking “0 Pond Street” from its agenda at the last minute.
On Oct. 26, 2021, Carver Building Commissioner Paul Boucher issues Makepeace a Building Permit EVEN THOUGH the public had informed the Town about CCA in the poles at the site. Boucher was Building Inspector in Somerset prior to going to Carver in 2021. He resigned under a cloud and was “neck deep” in the controversy over the scrap metal yard.
2020: Planning Board approval
In 2020, Makepeace and REDP, in concert with the Town, duped the public, hiding the use of CCA poles at this site. Here are key points from the Makepeace-REDP reports from May – September 2019. The Carver Planning Board never asked questions in 2020 and approved this project in October 2020.
Makepeace and REDP duped the Town and failed to disclose use of CCA poles: The companies and their consultants submitted a “Timber Pile Solar Canopy Pile Load Testing Report” and never disclosed the use of CCA. See, page 191 of PDF. There is only a brief mention of “environmental considerations” PDF page 199. The term CCA does not seem to appear anywhere. Why did the former Planning Board chair Bruce Maki go along with this?
Makepeace and REDP knew the arsenic poles would be put into the groundwater. Their report saysthe depth to groundwater at the site is 5.3 to 14.7 feet. PDF page 33. The poles will be embedded from 11- 16 feet into the ground – well into the groundwater that starts at 5.3 feet. PDF page 216.
This is a significant archeological site. Makepeace continues to do destructive earth removal here.
The decommissioning bond is about $190,000. The Makepeace-REDP plan calls for cutting them off below grade and disposing of the above ground portion of the poles. Planning Board Files, PDF page 21, Weston & Sampson Report, 9/23/21. This is like using the bogs as a toxic waste dump!
