The state’s environmental secretary has determined the proposed Charlestown Maritime Center project does not require the preparation of an Environmental Impact Report (EIP) for an organic material processing and transportation facility at the site.
According to the Charlestown Maritime Center proposal at 200 Terminal St. the plant would ‘produce a clean feedstock material for introduction into the Anaerobic Digestion facilities at MWRA’s Deer Island Treatment Plant (DITP)…The anaerobic digestion feedstock Engineered Fuel Source (EFS) bioslurry will be delivered by barge to the DITP facilities.”
This would remove all the trucks from neighborhood streets delivering the alternative fuel source to Deer Island.
According to the Charlestown Maritime Center’s Environmental Notification Form (ENF) the owner proposes the construction of a new 9,900 square foot structure serving as an organic material processing and transportation facility all with water dependent uses.
The proposal will also relocate a small 7,200 square foot building that will be used for “swing space” for the adjacent water-dependent use. The building will be relocated to 333 Terminal Street.
The project supports the State’s long term plan for a greener Commonwealth of Massachusetts by diverting 135 tons of source separated food organic waste material otherwise destined to be landfill.
In his ruling Secretary Richard Sullivan wrote, “The ENF has sufficiently defined the nature and general elements of the project for the purposed MEPA review and demonstrated that the project’s environmental impacts will be avoided, minimized and/or mitigated to the extent practicable. I find no further MEPA review is required at this time.”
There has been a regional push to get the state to quickly approve the proposed organic material processing and transportation facility at the Charlestown Maritime Center.
The MWRA has begun a co-digestion program for the Deer Island Treatment facility in Winthrop, Mass. The program would ship organic fuel processed from the Charlestown facility to Deer Island via barge.
However, without the Charlestown plant up and running, the MWRA is seeking to ship eighteen truckloads per day, seven days per week, of food waste from other facilities using community roads surrounding the Deer Island plant. This has neighbors of Deer Island up in arms over the plan.