Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
Healey nixes proposed machine gun range on Cape Cod
The decision comes after years of debate between environmental groups and the Massachusetts National Guard.
Gov. Maura Healey halted the proposed multi-purpose machine gun range on Camp Edwards at Joint Base Cape Cod on Monday by announcing that she would not approve the construction contract for the project.
The Healey-Driscoll Administration, in a statement, said it is committed to protecting the environment while ensuring the Massachusetts National Guard has the resources it needs to do its work.
Healey said she did not sign the contract to develop the multipurpose machine gun range because funding “has not been reauthorized and the project was still undergoing review.”
“Our administration remains committed to working with General (Gary) Keefe and his team and our Congressional delegation to meet the long-term training needs of the National Guard,” Healey said in a statement.
Advertisement:
According to WCAI, The $9.7 million allocated by the federal government to the project expired Sept. 30 after U.S. Rep. Bill Keating and Sen. Elizabeth Warren fought against a funding extension in the House and Senate.
To make the deadline and after failed attempts to get a contract that fit within the budget, the Guard had placed a new ad in the Cape Cod Times in July asking for a scaled-back, lower-cost version of the project, reducing it from eight to three lanes.
Barnstable County officials, who opposed the project, applauded the governor’s actions.
“We appreciate the Governor and her staff listening to the concerns of Cape Codders and supporting our efforts to protect our drinking water supplies,” said Barnstable County Commissioner Mark Forest in a statement.
Advertisement:
The proposed gun range was slated to be built on top of the Upper Cape Water Supply Reserve, the Cape’s sole source aquifer, which provides water to more than 210,000 year-round residents.
In April, the EPA issued a draft determination stating that the proposed project has the “potential to contaminate the aquifer” and create a “significant public health hazard.”
The report confirmed many of the opponents’ concerns, such as those of the Association to Preserve Cape Cod, a nonprofit organization that works to protect the environment.
Andrew Gottlieb, the organization’s executive director, said one concern was the clear-cutting of almost two acres of forested land and the setting aside another 5,000 acres as a hazard zone for off-target bullets.
Gottlieb said the second concern was the sheer volume of munitions left on the ground outside the containment area. Even though the bullets are made of copper, the accelerates and ignition compounds could impact the Cape’s water resources.
With an estimated 1.2 million rounds deposited in the soil each year, over time, that volume of compounds would “jeopardize the water supply,” he said.
The Massachusetts National Guard did not immediately respond for comment.
Advertisement:
However, the Boston Globe reported that the Guard said the project was critical to maintaining their soldiers’ readiness and that they have “extensively coordinated” with agencies, including the state Department of Environmental Protection and the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, and are “fully engaged” with state and federal environmental reviews.
The Guard also stated that it now has a dedicated environmental affairs program, which ensures training grounds are sustainable and don’t harm rare species or “other sensitive resources.”
In addition, the Guard said that transferring 260 acres of land on the base to the adjacent Crane Wildlife Management area would offset the carbon emissions of trees lost.
Gottlieb said the long saga, which has lasted for years, is finally over, at least for now.
If the Massachusetts National Guard wants to pursue the project again, it must obtain funding from Congress, which has already passed the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act without this project.
“I think this is the end of it during the Healey administration,” said Gottlieb.
However, he said, “We’ll be watching,” since, he says, the National Guard often doesn’t “share with the community what their intentions are.”
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com