MyRWA’s all-volunteer Policy Committee is a critical tool for advocacy. Led by chair Tracy Olson, the team serves two major functions: monitoring, commenting on and mobilizing actions on local development, and on regulations and legislation (at all levels of government).
LEGISLATIVE
Last year our biggest legislative priority included the CSO notification bill. Passed in January of 2021, the bill calls for notification of sewer overflows into our rivers—a critical function for public health. No one wants to boat or swim in raw sewage and this bill will ensure the community knows when our infrastructure fails public health. CSOs are an environmental justice tragedy, as deftly explained by policy committee member Nathan Sanders.
As the new legislative session begins, Policy Committee members will be participating in the Lobby for the Rivers Day, organized by Mass Rivers Alliance. FYI—their advocacy workshop and Lobby for the Rivers Day are both on the MyRWA calendar.
MONITORING
The committee actively monitors and comments on developments in the watershed—we are ‘Mystic watchdogs’.
What does this look like in action? We recently celebrated a win at 245 Marginal Street in Chelsea. This property on Chelsea Creek had not been maintained by the owner and did not allow the public access required by their permit. Through an amazing amount of vigilance and persistence by David Barlow, committee member, and others—the owner has agreed to create public access, improve the appearance of the property, and provide recreational amenities.
Another development that came on our radar screen more recently is the remediation and development of the Kraft Food property in Woburn. The proposal is for a 60-acre, multi-use development abutting the Aberjona River, the headwaters of the Mystic. MyRWA commented in 2018 during the Mass Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) review process and is now speaking up during the Woburn City Council and Conservation Commission permitting process. We are advocating for:
more aggressive on-site stormwater management including more green infrastructure;
increasing energy conservation and utilization of solar panels in the buildings to mitigate deforestation on the site; and,
ensuring the buffer zones around the wetlands and the Aberjona are sufficient.
WHAT’S ON THE HORIZON
In 2021, the Policy Committee will continue to advocate for legislation, regulations and development that will benefit all communities in the watershed. We plan to emphasize the areas of MyRWA’s increasing focus, namely climate resilience and environmental justice. It will be a very interesting year with a new head of the US EPA and a greater awareness of the need for climate policy and preparedness at the state and local level.
JOIN US!
If you are interested finding out more about the Policy Committee, please join us on the first Tuesday of every month. The policy committee has people from a wide range of interests and specialties. You don’t need to be a lawyer or an environmental scientist to make a big contribution! Just check out our calendar for the time, date and location. And as always—look for future “calls to action” where you can make your voices heard and ensure strong protective policies.
Author: Tracy Olson, Policy Committee Chair
