Chapter 91 Letter Submitted to DEP
With leadership and support from our Policy Committee, MyRWA submitted a comment letter to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regarding the Chapter 91 license application by National Grid, a large property owner along the Malden River. Chapter 91 is a mandatory licensing program for public access on historic tidal shorelines. However, implementation of the regulation varies greatly, leaving an important role for advocacy. Thus, MyRWA, along with 32 concerned citizens who signed-on, urged DEP to reject National Grid’s proposal for 100 feet of public access. Not only will this path be underutilized, it will break continuity of the planned Riverwalk - a waterfront path and park system along the river. Instead, National Grid should restore full waterfront access along its more than 2,000 feet of shoreline and provide an important amenity for residents of Malden, Everett and Medford.
