EPA to conduct aerial survey of Olin Superfund Site in Wilmington, Mass. week of November 9th or 16th

Within the next two weeks, Olin Corporation (Olin) plans to conduct an aerial survey over the Maple Meadow Brook wetlands in Wilmington. The aerial survey was scheduled to take place the week of November 9, 2020, but may be postponed to the week of November 16, 2020, due to a delay in clearing the survey equipment through the United States/Canadian customs. The purpose of this aerial survey is to gather data to characterize the bedrock beneath the wetlands as part of the ongoing site investigations related to the Olin Chemical Superfund Site. >

These investigations, called an Aerial Electromagnetic (AEM) survey, are being conducted in order to better understand the distribution of contamination in the bedrock, both on and around the site. The AEM survey is being coordinated by Olin with EPA’s oversight. The survey will involve flying a helicopter, with a large dipole instrument attached, over the Maple Meadow Brook wetland area (see the graphic and photo attached below). This technology was selected since it is considered the best and safest tool to analyze the wetland area, which is otherwise difficult to access due to high water elevations. >

The survey is expected to take approximately two hours of flight time. Olin anticipates the AEM will be completed in one day; however, depending on the quality of results, additional scans may be required. Because of this, Olin has reserved a two to three-day period for backup flights to ensure quality data is collected. The helicopter will travel above the wetland and containment area at an elevation of 150 – 180 feet with the AEM equipment suspended at 100 feet above the ground surface to collect data. The AEM survey is expected to cover an area of 250 acres and consists of flying the instrument in straight lines spaced 100 feet apart. The use of this technology has been approved by EPA. Residents who live nearby may notice an increase in noise while the survey is being conducted, as the helicopter will be flying low in order to collect data. A map of the survey area is provided below. >

Olin presented information regarding the AEM survey during the October 26, 2020, Wilmington Board of Selectmen meeting and a recording of the meeting is available on the WCTV: Wilmington Community Television video on demand webpage (http://wctv.org/). Olin will also be placing an informational flyer describing the AEM survey in mailboxes of residents and businesses within the anticipated fly zones.

 

MBTA Releases Proposed Service Changes to Match New Ridership Patterns

No fare changes are included in proposals and service adjustments are not permanent. 

Public outreach underway through December 4. FMCB will vote on proposals December 7 

 

The MBTA today released a series of proposed changes to its transit service that are intended to match service to new ridership patterns resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposed changes are part of the T’s Forging Ahead effort to define and protect its core essential transit services.

A letter from MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak to riders regarding the Forging Ahead process and the proposed service changes can be found online on the MBTA website. The public is also encouraged to view these proposals and participate in the public engagement process, which is now underway and run through December 4.

This comprehensive public engagement process includes a series of virtual public meetings, a public hearing, a team of Community Liaisons who are already gathering feedback directly from riders, and an online comment form for customers to voice and share their thoughts with the T. Specific details of these proposals and the public engagement processes are available at mbta.com/ForgingAhead.

As a result of the decline in ridership that is similarly impacting transit agencies across the country, the MBTA is now only transporting 330,000 trips on an average weekday – but is continuing to run the same high levels of service as it ran to serve 1.26 million daily trips prior to the pandemic, an unsustainable level of service delivery.

“COVID-19 has had a significant impact on ridership and the MBTA is releasing these proposed changes to adjust to the realities created by COVID-19, while protecting service for those who depend on it most,” said General Manager Steve Poftak. “I want to reassure our riders that these service changes are not permanent, do not include any fare changes, and will not take effect immediately. We are carrying out a comprehensive outreach process and encourage all members of the public to provide comments and feedback, as we want to hear from riders to help us identify and protect the services that support transit-critical populations and communities.”

The MBTA is proposing a series of service changes in addition to preserving its base-level service, or its minimum level of service as determined by the Fiscal and Management Control Board. The MBTA will continue to provide sufficient service for the current, reduced ridership on all modes except the ferry system, which is being proposed to be temporarily closed. The proposed base service levels are designed to ensure adequate capacity for all essential services as well as a reduced level of non-essential service that is still viable for most of those who are currently using the T. The T’s base service includes approximately eighty essential bus routes, The Ride, the whole of the rapid transit system including subway, and the Fairmont Commuter Rail line.

“The vast majority of MBTA service will continue, and these service adjustments are being proposed to preserve and protect service for those who depend most critically on the MBTA by reducing primarily non-essential services,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack. “Using limited resources to operate nearly empty trains, ferries, and buses is not a responsible use of the funding provided to the MBTA by riders, communities, and taxpayers, and does not help us meet the transportation needs of our region. We look forward to working closely with the public to ensure we continue providing essential service and help the MBTA afford the growing service we will need to support our customers and communities in the future.”

The proposed service changes announced today will not go into effect immediately. While some service changes on the Commuter Rail could take place as early as January 2021, the changes to Commuter Rail would be made in March, rapid transit changes would be made in spring 2021, and buses changes would happen later in the summer. This will allow the MBTA to adjust the proposed basic service if warranted by changes in ridership and if additional, durable revenue becomes available.

Service levels will be continually reassessed based on the status of the state of emergency, commuting patterns, and ridership and fare revenue recovery in 2021 and beyond. The MBTA is also proposing service packages that will include options to increase service once ridership returns and the T’s revenue improves.

The MBTA is hosting a series of public engagement efforts that will run through December 4 to receive public feedback on the service changes that includes a series of virtual public meetings, and a public hearing to gather feedback directly from riders, and an online comment form for customers to engage with the T.

The T wants to hear from transit riders about the services people are using now, how often they are using them, and what their transit priorities are in order to shape the T’s decisions about protecting transit-critical services.

The FMCB is scheduled to vote on the changes on December 7, so that planning can begin for making the changes in 2021.

Proposed service changes beyond the base-level service include:

Rapid Transit:

The Red, Orange, Blue, and underground Green Line stations are experiencing approximately ~120,000 gated entries on weekdays, which is about 24 percent of its pre-COVID numbers. Proposed service level changes for the Red, Orange, Blue and Green lines and Mattapan trolley include: Weekday and Saturday service will operate from 5 a.m. to midnight (currently until 1 a.m.) and Sunday service will operate from 6 a.m. to midnight (currently until 1 a.m.).

Reduce peak frequency by 20 percent and reduce off-peak frequency by an additional 20 percent on all lines. The Green Line E Branch will terminate at Brigham Circle with customers able to transfer to Bus Route 39, which mimics E Branch service from Brigham Circle to Heath Street.

Bus:

Buses are experiencing about 171,000 weekday boarding, which is approximately 41 percent of its pre-COVID ridership. Proposed service level changes include: All bus service will stop at midnight, though early service will continue on essential bus routes.

Eighty essential bus routes will see an average change in service of just 5 percent and routes with high ridership will not be changed.

Sixty non-essential bus routes will operate 20-30 percent less frequently. Approximately ten routes will be consolidated or restructured.

Approximately twenty-five routes that served less than 0.5 percent of pre-COVID riders (about 1,700) will be eliminated.

Commuter Rail:

The Commuter Rail is experiencing approximately 13 percent of its pre-COVID ridership with about 8.5 percent of its normal ridership during morning peak periods. As a result, the following changes are proposed (with the exception of the Fairmount Line): No evening service after 9 p.m.

No weekend service (except for the Fairmount Line, which will be bused).

Decreased weekday peak service and some midday service, reducing from 505 trains (fall 2019) to 430 trains.

Close six (out of 141) stations based on low ridership, operational impacts, and availability of alternatives.

Specific service levels by line will take into account ridership patterns from adjusted Fall 2020 schedules with more balanced service throughout day.

Ferry:

Ferry ridership is approximately 12 percent of pre-COVID ridership, averaging 7 passengers per boat, and passengers have either bus or commuter rail service as an alternative. As a result, all Ferry service (F1, F2H, F4) is proposed to be stopped. Charlestown/Boston service (F4) has experienced very low COVID ridership and highly redundant bus service is available on Route 93 (an essential bus route which currently has minimal crowding and can support diverted ferry riders. Hull and Hingham service has also experienced very low ridership due to COVID-19 and passengers can use the Commuter Rail Greenbush line.

The RIDE:

With changes being proposed to the area and hours of operation of fixed route services, some RIDE trips may become “premium trips,” though RIDE service boundaries would not change.

Some trips will be able to be booked forty minutes from request time instead of the current thirty minutes.

The public is strongly encouraged to submit feedback online and/or participate in any of the eleven virtual public meetings, including an Official Public Hearing, where input may be provided and questions can be asked of MBTA officials. At every Forging Ahead public meeting, either Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack, General Manager Steve Poftak, or one or more members of the Fiscal and Management Control Board (FMCB) will be present to listen to public comments. All public comments on Forging Ahead received during public meetings, provided to MBTA Community Liaisons during engagement sessions, or through the online comment form will be shared with members of the FMCB and senior executives, including the Secretary of Transportation and General Manager. MBTA Community Liaisons are also available by emailing publicengagement@mbta.com to schedule in-person, phone, or online meetings with individuals, local municipalities, or neighborhood organizations to provide information and seek community feedback. All details continue to be available at mbta.com/ForgingAhead.

Home Heating Assistance

This stunning November weather may convince you that it isn't home heating season - it is. Here is some important heating assistance and energy services information that could be very valuable to you and your family.  

Baker-Polito Administration, COVID-19 Command Center & Department of Elementary & Secondary Education Release Updated Metrics, Guidance on Schools

The Baker-Polito Administration and COVID-19 Command Center released updated metrics for schools and municipalities. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education also released updated school guidance. 

This update builds on the state’s ongoing efforts to refine data that is reported publicly to track the impact of the virus in the Commonwealth. The updated metrics for communities will give school districts more data to make informed decisions regarding in-person learning. Local officials have also used these metrics to make decisions for schools and businesses in their communities.

Understanding of the virus continues to evolve. Studies have shown that there is low transmission in schools, even in communities where there are high rates of COVID.

UPDATED METRICS FOR SCHOOLS & MUNICIPALITIES

The updated metrics adjust for the reporting of cases by a municipality’s population size. These metrics incorporate cases per 100,000 residents and the test positivity rate when determining a municipality color designation.

Using one metric to determine school reopenings community by community does not reflect the state’s current understanding of the virus in the Commonwealth that there is more transmission across the Commonwealth due to increased cases of COVID-19.

The Command Center has also been reviewing metrics used by other states as well as what is available in the academic and national data sets. This updated metric also will better account for communities that conduct a significant amount of testing.

This metric will continue to be used to determine whether a community is in Step 1 of Phase 3 or Step 2. Communities currently in Step 1 of Phase 3 will need to have 3 weeks of data where the community is designated yellow, green or grey in order to move to Step 2 of Phase 3.

Under the new methodology, the color coded designations are: 16 red communities, 91 yellow communities, 79 green communities, and 165 grey communities based on this week’s data.

Details on the metrics: 

 

DESE’s UPDATED SCHOOL GUIDANCE:

In coordination with this data metric update, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has issued updated guidance to prioritize in-person learning statewide and support municipalities.

Scientific evidence and COVID-19 transmission data supports that with strong health and safety protocols in place, schools are able to operate safely and successfully with in-person learning. This updated guidance was developed in conjunction with medical professionals and public health experts.

Under this guidance, districts and schools in communities designated gray, green or yellow are expected to have students learning fully in-person when possible.

The guidance states that schools in red communities should implement hybrid models while maximizing in-person learning for high-needs students.

In communities with the highest numbers of COVID-19 cases, DESE and DPH will work with local school officials to develop and implement risk reduction strategies.

Fully remote instructional models should be implemented only as a last resort, and classrooms should reopen after appropriate mitigation strategies have been implemented.

This update replaces previous guidance, Interpreting DPH COVID-19 Health Metrics, issued on August 11, and structured learning time requirements for students and related regulatory and statutory standards remain in effect for all districts.

Please Vote!

    Voting has been a cornerstone of our democracy throughout the history of our nation, and the ability to make choices about those who will represent us is not only a fundamental element of our legacy as Americans, it's also critical to our future . While this year has presented some challenges, we must not let our election system be disrupted. That's why the legislature and the Baker administration have worked to enact special measures to maximize the opportunity for everyone to vote, and why municipal clerks, officials and poll workers are working across the state to ensure that we have a fair, open and effective process to cast our votes and that we can depend on the integrity of that process. 

    I encourage you to vote today, if you have not already done so, in the following ways :

      1.If you have requested and received a mail-in ballot and not yet returned it, please do so today. Mailed ballots must be POSTMARKED by today to be counted or can be delivered to your local polling location until 8 pm. 

      2. You can also vote in person at your designated polling place, which will remain open until 8 pm. Special measures are in place at polling locations to protect public health, and it's important that you wear a mask and maintain social distancing.

     You can find your designated polling location, and other voting information, at https://www.sec.state.ma.us/wheredoivotema/bal/MyElectionInfo.aspx, and you can reach the office of the Elections Division of the Secretary of State at 1-800-462-VOTE or elections@sec.state.ma.us.

      Please be sure to vote if you haven't already done so, and thank you for giving our democracy the strength that comes from your participation!

New Executive Order and Guidance related to COVID-19

 

Baker-Polito Administration Announces Targeted Measures To Curb Rising COVID-19 Cases, Hospitalizations

Early Business Closures, Revised Gatherings, Mask Orders Announced to Disrupt Growth of COVID-19 Cases

 

BOSTON – Today, the Baker-Polito Administration announced a series of targeted measures to disrupt the increasing trend of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. Governor Charlie Baker announced these changes at a time where public health data has indicated that cases are rising, with cases up by 278% and hospitalizations up by 145% since Labor Day. These measures are meant to disrupt rising trends now, so the Commonwealth can keep the economy and schools open for residents and to prevent the need to roll back to Phase I or Phase II of the reopening plan.

 

All orders and advisories will be effective Friday, November 6th at 12:01 AM.

 

New Orders & Advisories:

 

Stay At Home Advisory: The Administration issued a revised Stay At Home Advisory to ensure residents avoid unnecessary activities that can lead to increased COVID-19 transmission. The revised Stay At Home Advisory instructs residents to stay home between 10 PM and 5 AM. The Advisory allows for activities such as going to work, running critical errands to get groceries and address health needs, and taking a walk.

 

Click here to read the revised Stay At Home Advisory: www.mass.gov/stayhome.

 

Early Closure of Businesses and Activities: Governor Baker issued a new executive order that requires the early closure of certain businesses and activities each night at 9:30 PM. The 9:30 PM closure requirement is aligned with the Stay At Home Advisory and together the two new initiatives are designed to further limit activities that could lead to COVID-19 transmission.

 

Effective November 6, the following businesses and activities must close to the public each day between the hours of 9:30 PM and 5:00 AM.

 

• Restaurants (in-person dining must cease at 9:30 PM, although takeout and delivery may continue for food and non-alcoholic beverages, but not alcohol)

 

• Liquor stores and other retail establishments that sell alcohol must cease alcohol sales at 9:30 PM (but may continue to sell other products)

 

• Adult-use marijuana sales must cease at 9:30 PM (not including medical marijuana)

 

• Indoor & outdoor events

 

• Theaters/movie theaters (including drive-in movie theaters), and performance venues (indoor and outdoor)

 

• Youth and adult amateur sports activities

 

• Golf facilities

 

• Recreational boating and boating businesses

 

• Outdoor recreational experiences

 

• Casinos and horse tracks/simulcast facilities

 

• Driving and flight schools

 

• Zoos, botanical gardens, wildlife reserves, nature centers

 

• Close contact personal services (such as hair and nail salons)

 

• Gyms, Fitness Centers and Health Clubs

 

• Indoor and outdoor pools

 

• Museums/cultural & historical facilities/guided tours

 

Click here to read the new executive order (including full list of businesses required to close at 9:30 PM).

 

Face Covering Order: Governor Baker also signed an updated order related to face-coverings. The revised order requires all persons to wear face-coverings in all public places, even where they are able to maintain 6 feet of distance from others. The revised order still allows for an exception for residents who cannot wear a face-covering due to a medical or disabling condition, but it allows employers to require employees to provide proof of such a condition. It also allows schools to require that students participating in in-person learning provide proof of such a medical or disabling condition.

 

Click here to read the revised face-coverings order.

 

Gatherings Order: Governor Baker also signed an updated order restricting gatherings. The new gatherings order reduces the gathering size limit for gatherings at private residences: indoor gatherings at private residences are limited to 10 people and outdoor gatherings at private residences are limited to 25 people. The limit on gatherings held in public spaces and at event venues (e.g. wedding venues) remains the same. The new order also requires that all gatherings (regardless of size or location) must end and disperse by 9:30 PM.

 

The new gatherings order also requires that organizers of gatherings report known positive COVID-19 cases to the local health department in that community and requires organizers to cooperate with contact tracing. The gatherings order authorizes continued enforcement by local health and police departments and specifies that fines for violating the gathering order will be $500 for each person above the limit at a particular gathering.

 

Click here to read the revised gatherings order.

 

  

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Tobin Bridge/Chelsea Curves Rehabilitation Project Updates from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

Construction Look-Ahead: November 1 – November 14, 2020

This is a brief overview of construction operations and traffic impacts for the Tobin Bridge/Chelsea Curves Rehabilitation Project. MassDOT will provide additional notices as needed for high-impact work, temporary ramp and street closures, and changes to traffic configurations beyond those described below. 

ROUTE 1 TRAFFIC IMPACTS ROUTE 1 NORTHBOUND: Approaching the Tobin Bridge from Boston, the work zone begins in the right lane. 2 of 3 travel lanes will be open during daytime hours (5 a.m.–10 p.m.) After the 4th Street off ramp, the Northbound lanes are split with a work zone in the middle. Traffic can travel in either side of the work zone. ROUTE 1 SOUTHBOUND: Approaching the Chelsea Curves from the North Shore, the work zone begins in the right lane at the Carter Street off-ramp and continues through to the Tobin. 2 of 3 travel lanes will be open during daytime hours (5 a.m.–10 p.m.) On Friday 10/30 through Sunday 11/1, Route 1 Southbound will be reduced to a single lane starting on Friday at 3 p.m. through Sunday at 8 p.m.

GRANT BENNETT PARKING LOT CLOSURE On Saturday, 11/7 through Sunday, 11/8, the Grant Bennett Memorial Parking Lot will be closed to allow work on the Tobin Bridge/Chelsea Curves rehabilitation to continue. Those looking for parking can use the La Escuela Williams (John A. Browne Middle School) parking lot during the days and time listed above.

LOCAL STREET CLOSURES There will be no local street closures on Tuesday (11/3) Election Day

FIFTH STREET will experience a temporary overnight closure on Monday 11/2 (9 p.m. – 5 a.m.). Fifth Street will also experience day closures on Wednesday, 11/4 (7 p.m. = 7 a.m.), and then on Thursday, 11/5 and Friday 11/6 (7 a.m. – 3 p.m.).

ARLINGTON STREET will be temporarily closed on Saturday, 10/31, Sunday, 11/1, Monday 11/2, Wednesday 11/4, and Friday 11/6 during the day (7 a.m. – 7 p.m.). Arlington Street will also experience a temporary day closure on Thursday 11/5 (7 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.). There will also be an overnight closure for Arlington Street on Thursday 11/05 (9 p.m. – 5 a.m.)