MassDEP Notice of Proposed Amendments to Title 5 Regulations - 310 CMR 15.000 and New Regulations at 314 CMR 21.00 Watershed Permit Regulations

Dear Municipal Official,

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) is proposing to amend the Title 5 regulations, 310 CMR 15.000, to enhance protection of embayments and estuaries—particularly on Cape Cod, the Islands and Southeastern Massachusetts—from nitrogen pollution originating primarily from wastewater. The proposed amendments will add nitrogen reduction provisions within natural resource areas for Title 5 systems. MassDEP is also proposing new related regulations at 314 CMR 21.00 to provide a voluntary watershed permitting approach to control nitrogen and other pollutants from entering the embayments and estuaries.

The draft regulations will be published on the MassDEP website. Public hearings will be held under the provisions of M.G.L Chapter 30A on:
November 30, 2022 at 6:00 pm,
December 1, 2022 at 1:00 pm, and
December 5, 2022 at 6:00 pm

In addition, MassDEP is planning on conducting two public information sessions. More details about the public hearings and public information sessions can be found on the MassDEP website. 

If you have any questions or would like to request a copy of the proposed amendments, please contact Marybeth Chubb by email at [email protected].

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Title 5 and Watershed Permit Regulations

This Public Hearing Notice is available in alternative languages.

Notice is hereby given that pursuant to M.G.L. c. 30A the Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) is proposing to amend the State Environmental Code, Title 5, 310 CMR 15.000, and promulgate new regulations, titled Watershed Permit Regulations, at 314 CMR 21.00, pursuant to its authority at M.G.L. c. 21A § 13, G.L. c. 21 § 27, and Section 2A of Chapter 259 of the Acts of 2014. MassDEP is proposing to amend the Title 5 regulations to enhance protection of embayments and estuaries—particularly on Cape Cod, the Islands and Southeastern Massachusetts—from nitrogen pollution originating primarily from wastewater. MassDEP’s proposed regulations at 314 CMR 21.00 provide a watershed permitting approach to control nitrogen and other pollutants from entering the embayments and estuaries. The proposed amendments and regulations are available on MassDEP’s website.
 Public Comments and Hearings MassDEP will conduct three public hearings.  In-person & Remote, MassDEP, 20 Riverside Dr., Lakeville, MA, November 30, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. Register for remote session in advance at: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_oay0_6bGTjeEUzevfxm7Jg

Remote Only, December 1, 2022 at 1:00 p.m.

Register in advance at: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_BTOR_A3oSI6EZm56mYdoRw

In-person & Remote, Barnstable Town Hall, 367 Main St., Hyannis, MA, December 5, 2022 at 6:00 p.m.

Register for remote session in advance at: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_f_YXLbaZRRyJsmdYrtDjNQ

After registering for remote sessions, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. You do not need to register in advance to attend either of the hearings in-person. Comments on the proposed revisions may be presented orally at the public hearing.

Written comments will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. on December 16, 2022. All comments submitted must include the name and contact information of the person providing the comments. Please submit comment by e-mail to [email protected] and include Title 5 & Watershed Permit in the subject line. 

Written comments may also be submitted by mail and should be sent to MassDEP, Bureau of Water Resources – Division of Watershed Management, One Winter Street, 5th floor, Boston, MA 02108, Attention: Title 5 & Watershed Permit.

For special accommodations for these hearings, please call the MassDEP Diversity Office at 617-348- 4040. TTY# MassRelay Service 1-800-439-2370. This information is available in alternate format upon request. MassDEP provides language access interpreter/translation services to limited English proficient individuals free of charge.

If you need an interpreter to participate in this meeting, translation services can be found at the link: MassDEP intends to provide Spanish and Portuguese translation at the public hearings. Please provide 72 hours advance notice if additional translation services are requested.

By Order of the Department of Environmental Protection
Martin Suuberg, Commissioner

Dennis Receives Sustainable Materials Recovery Program Grant –

Well done by Chad Contonio our Transfer Station foreman within our Department of Public Works for his efforts in seeking and receiving a Recycling grant!!

Dear Municipal Recycling Official, 

We are pleased to inform you that your municipality has been awarded a Sustainable Materials Recovery Program (SMRP) Municipal Grant from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.  The terms and conditions of your grant are outlined in the attached award documents.  Please sign and return via email the attached RDP Contract as per the instructions provided on the Grant Checklist.

Should you have any questions, please email [[email protected]]Janine Bishop, Grant Manager for the SMRP Grant Program.  

Congratulations and thank you for the work you do to reduce waste, reuse, and improve recycling in the Commonwealth.  

MassDEP, Municipal Waste Reduction Branch

Winter Energy Prices – Eversource Media Release –

Increasing Electricity Prices and Winter Bills

Many Americans are coping with increasing prices, including rising energy bills. We know our customers count on us every day for the energy they need and recognize our role in keeping bills as low as possible as energy prices surge.?? 

The cost of Basic Service (energy/electricity) changes twice a year in Massachusetts for Eversource customers – on January 1 and July 1. Eversource has filed with the Department of Public Utilities (DPU), the new cost of energy supply beginning January 1, 2023. 

As you know, Eversource does not produce electricity, but purchases energy to meet customers’ electric needs throughout the year. Eversource does not earn a profit on the cost of energy and charges customers only what the company pays in the energy market.  Beginning January 1, pending approval by the DPU, the average residential Eversource electric customer in Eastern MA using 600 kWh will see a 23% or $47 increase to their total bill. Eversource serves Basic Service to 29% of Eversource customers in Eastern MA.

This increase does not apply to customers that receive energy from another supplier or through municipal aggregation. A customer’s total bill amount depends on their energy use, the type of rate they are on, and weather conditions.     

The increase is a result of record-high natural gas prices, primarily driven by the Russian and Ukraine conflict. This is especially impactful here in New England, where natural gas is used to generate much of the region’s electricity.

While adjustments to other components of the bill take effect January 1, 2023, rising energy costs are the primary factor impacting customers’ total monthly bills.  We will share those other adjustments with you when we receive more information.

Programs to Help Customers

We recognize the financial burden this places on customers who are already facing higher prices on everyday goods and services.  

To help customers through this time, we offer programs to lessen the impact on their bill by helping better manage energy use and providing direct assistance to those in need. Customers are encouraged to: 

Visit Eversource.com to learn more about the many Energy Efficiency rebates and services to help reduce energy use at little or no cost. Simple changes can help lower bills.  

Take advantage of our Heating Cost Calculator to see how adjustments to your thermostat can help them save energy.???

Schedule a virtual home pre-assessment with an energy technician toidentify energy-saving opportunities in your home. HOME ENERGY ASSESSMENTS.  Enroll in Budget Billing to set up predictable monthly payments and even out bill spikes during heating and cooling seasons.? 
Compare rates offered by other electric suppliers and choose the option that works best for them.? 
Learn about special assistance programs to lower your monthly payments, forgive past due balances or spread payments out over time.?? ?We encourage all customers to review our programs and ways to manage or get help with their bill at Eversource.com/winter-bill..???? 

Thank you for your consideration, and please contact me if you have any questions.???? 

Ronit Goldstein
Community Relations & Economic Development
Eversource

Dennis Recognized As First Age & Dementia Friendly Town on Cape Cod –

Dennis, MA – The Town of Dennis is the first Cape Cod town to be designated as both, an Age and Dementia Friendly Community by the AARP Network of Age Friendly States and Cities, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Network of Age Friendly Communities, and Dementia Friendly America – Massachusetts (ADF), for its commitment to being an accessible and great place to live, work and play, for people of all ages, and for individuals and families coping with dementia. 

The Town of Dennis received this distinction after five years of work that involved educating residents, businesses, town administration, committees and the Dennis Select Board, about population demographics, the benefits of building community around the reality of an older population, and the meaning of becoming age and dementia friendly, with guidance from Town Gerontologist and Dennis Council on Aging Director, Brenda Vazquez. Since December 2017, Vazquez approached her new post with a goal to become the first Age and Dementia Friendly Town on the Cape and to “remodel the center to reflect the people and culture it serves, to elevate design and function, not cost, to fulfill its purpose of supporting a thriving and health-promoting lifestyle for residents and visitors to enjoy.” 

“Dennis’s designation is the culmination of a multi-year effort supported by the Governor’s Council to address Aging in Massachusetts, the Executive Office of Elder Affairs, Massachusetts Councils on Aging, Tufts Healthcare Foundation, Barnstable County Human Services (BCHS), Dementia Friendly Massachusetts, and lastly, John Terrio, COA Liaison to the Town of Dennis Select Board, all very supportive” said Vazquez.  The Town is committed to listen to the needs of its aging population, assess and monitor their age-friendliness and work collaboratively with older people and across sectors to create accessible ‘physical environments, inclusive social activities, and a responsive service infrastructure.’ 

WHO established the Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities to connect organizations worldwide with the common vision of making their community a great place to grow old as a response to global population aging. It focuses on action at the local level that fosters the full participation of older people in community life and promotes healthy and active aging. AARP became the WHO counterpart for the Age Friendly movement in the United States. As a part of this project, BCHS assisted Dennis with conducting focus groups and a community survey and developing plans, infrastructure funding ideas, and programs to successfully implement projects and initiatives in WHO’s evidence-based criteria of eight domains of livability: 

Outdoor spaces and buildings 

Transportation 

Housing 

Social participation

Civic participation and employment 

Communication and information 

Community support and health services

Respect and social inclusion  

Dennis demonstrates its commitment to fostering an age friendly environment continually. Most recently, the Select Board approved an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant to the Dennis Center for Active Living (DCAL) to fund a full-time Coordinator for the Supportive Day Program, Golden Age Pals (GAP), one of the few options in the region for caregiver respite support and social care. The GAP offers full and part time supportive day care for individuals coping with cognitive decline and early stage dementia, and features engaging, social and cognitive stimulation activities. The Town offers a variety of ADF programs through several departments including the Council on Aging’s Dennis Center for Active Living, Beaches and Recreation (accessible beach and recreation equipment) and continues to explore others. One example is the Dennis Center for Active Living which will be fully open next fall, after renovations are completed. For future, a proposed experiential, rehabilitative, and sensory walking path on one of the Town’s conservation parcels is being explored. WHO established the Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities to connect organizations worldwide with the common vision of making their community a great place to grow old as a response to global population aging. It focuses on action at the local level that fosters the full participation of older people in community life and promotes healthy and active aging. AARP became the WHO representative for the Age Friendly movement in the United States. 

The Town of Dennis is located on the Cape Cod Peninsula and combines the magnificent views of the National Seashore and Cape Cod Bay, and the strength and resilience of a long-established population of 14,667. Town staff and leadership are dedicated to providing Dennis with sound infrastructure. Dennis fosters a thriving business community, while balancing sustainable fiscal operations and maintaining safe and healthy neighborhoods with an abundant selection of recreational, social and cultural opportunities. These priorities work together to create a vibrant and enjoyable quality of life that is uniquely Dennis. For more information about getting involved in the Dennis Age and Dementia Friendly Committee, please contact the DCAL, (508)-385-5067 ext. 386. 

Thank you everyone, have a great week!

Respectfully,
Elizabeth C. Sullivan
Town Administrator