Nantucket Land Council 2023 Water News

Clean Water Coalition

PFAS Well Project

Update on Eelgrass

The Water Fund Challenge Grant

Moorlands Management District

Confirmation of Wyer’s Valley Protection

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NANTUCKET LAND & WATER COUNCIL

2023 WAT E R

NEWS Read About Nantucket’s Latest Environmental Updates

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ADVOCACY NEWS Nantucket Land & Water Council PO Box 502, 6 Ash Lane Nantucket, MA 02554 508.228.2818 www.nantucketlandwater.org BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Lucy S. Dillon, President Matt Liddle, Vice President William Willet, Vice President Laurel Ried Langworthy, Treasurer Susan E. Robinson, Clerk Matt Anderson Susan Baer Mary-Randolph Ballinger William S. Brenizer Thomas V. Farrell Robert Friedman Nancy Gillespie Nathanael Greene Matt Haffenreffer Charles A. Kilvert III Lucy Leske Bob Lyons Peter McCausland Keltie Donelan McDonald Alan Nathan Charles Platt Amy Rowland Carl H. Sjolund Brooks Smith Lars Soderberg David Troast Helen Weeks

Clean Water Coalition Last summer the Clean Water Coalition, a group of 15 island organizations and entities, sent a letter to the Town seeking to prioritize initiatives to reduce nutrient pollution into our waters. Over the past year, Clean Water Coalition leaders, Emily Molden of the Nantucket Land & Water Council, Samantha Denette of the Nantucket Shellfish Association, and Joanna Roche of the Maria Mitchell Association, have met with Town department heads from the Natural Resources Department, Health Department, Sewer Department and Water Department to discuss the status of a variety of Town programs and to identify appropriate goals and action items to advance the clean water objective through 2024. The goals that have been identified and prioritized through these meetings include, among others, the creation of a new Town position dedicated to implementing the fertilizer licensing and regulatory program, engaging in the drafting of a Stormwater Management Plan, and investigating and improving existing protocols for enforcing regulatory septic system inspection and upgrade requirements. We look forward to presenting these priorities to the Select Board this fall and asking for their support to achieve them as an opportunity to advance their Strategic Goal of Environmental Leadership.

HONORARY DIRECTOR Paul A. Bennett

SCIENTIFIC ADVISOR

James W. Sutherland, Ph.D.

NLWC ASSOCIATES Helen Weeks, Chair Jen Garren William Johnson Chad Kilvert Leah Mojer Margaret Troast

ASSOCIATES ALUMNI

Matt Haffenreffer Tracy Long Keltie Donelan McDonald, Chair

STAFF

Emily Molden, Executive Director RJ Turcotte, Nantucket Waterkeeper Michelle Whelan, Development Director Anna Day, Communications Manager Dennis Murphy—General Counsel Design by: Gioiosa Design Harvard, MA | www.gioiosadesign.com Printed On Recycled Paper

Nantucket PFAS Well Project The NLWC has launched the pilot program for he PFAS Well Project in partnership with, Notre Dame University, Nantucket PFAS Action Group, NRDC, and WRAFT. This program seeks to offer testing for private wells across Nantucket to give residents more information about what is in their drinking water. By using innovative new technologies being developed at Notre Dame University, the NLWC hopes to change how PFAS screening is approached everywhere.

PFAS chemicals, per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, encompass thousands of compounds employed in a wide range of consumer products and industrial uses.

These chemicals have proven to be long-lasting and difficult to detect, leading many to refer to them as “forever chemicals.” Many PFAS compounds have also been proven to have adverse health impacts, which makes it crucial for accurate screening to become accessible.

This pilot program will screen for any man-made, fluorinated compounds (aka PFAS) in our water supplies and compare it to the relatively limited scope that is the continued on page 3

2 | ADVOCACY NEWS

Stormwater Management for New Sparks Ave Development The Planning Board spent many months reviewing the proposal for a new Major Commercial Development off of Sparks Ave which generated much discussion within the community. In addition to hearing a number of public comments and concerns around the scale of the development, parking issues, and the need for a greater affordable housing component, the Planning Board has been considering the Nantucket Land & Water Council’s concerns around the proposed stormwater management at this site.

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current standard used by local, state, and federal regulators.

Engaging with this project will not only bring more knowledge about your water quality to yourself but can potentially bring widespread changes to how water is tested for PFAS everywhere.

The new screening method, known as Total Organic Fuorine (TOF) screening, is simple and affordable. The kit requires no special training, can be mailed to the lab in an envelope instead of overnight, and costs less than $50. Other methods require special training, overnight shipping on ice, and hundreds of dollars in laboratory fees all to search for a handful of these nefarious compounds. By looking for an indicator these forever chemicals all share (fluorine), instead of looking for specific individuals, we can offer a cheaper method for people to affordably determine if their water is safe or not. The results will be simple and straightforward, allowing folks with high amounts of these contaminants to get a filter and move on with their lives. If well owners so choose, they can have more elaborate (and expensive) testing done to isolate the exact compounds.

As proposed the new development will significantly increase the amount of impervious surface at the site, from the increased building footprint and increase in paved parking area. Increased impervious surface eliminates the opportunity for natural vegetation to absorb and take up nutrients, particularly nitrogen, and channels the nitrogen in stormwater on site directly into an underground infiltration system. From here it will quickly move into our groundwater. While state stormwater standards address the need to move water in a way that alleviates or prevents flooding, they do not address nitrogen removal on sites like this that are in our Nantucket Harbor Watershed.

The NLWC continues to advocate for the use of updated rainwater values in stormwater calculations which will better reflect the type and intensity of storms we are experiencing, as well as improved nitrogen removal from stormwater on site. As we move forward with developing or redeveloping commercial areas in the mid-island we must do everything in our power to address nitrogen pollution in order to prevent further deterioration of our harbor. We look to our local regulatory agencies to use their authority and condition permits to reduce negative impacts to our fragile resources.

If you’d like to get involved, you can apply to get your well-tested by scanning this code: If you’d like to volunteer with us, email rj@nantucketlandwater.org

3 | ADVOCACY NEWS

State Confirms Wyer’s Valley is Protected Under Article 97 In July, the Commonwealth ruled in favor of the Nantucket Land & Water Council’s position that the land at 1 Milestone Road, known as Wyer’s Valley, protecting Nantucket’s sole public water supply remains subject to Article 97. The NLWC had been raising serious concerns over the proposed solar installation at this site for several years. While we are very supportive of efforts to increase and improve Nantucket’s use of alternative energy and to decrease our reliance on fossil fuels, it is also very important to consider the implications of all new construction projects, including solar installations.

We have been asserting based on multiple legal opinions, that the property is protected under Article 97 of the Massachusetts Constitution because of the purpose for which it was acquired. Article 97 provides the most sacrosanct protection of land available under the law. Because we all collectively own public land, Article 97 requires a two-thirds vote of our elected representatives in the Legislature to change the use for which such land was acquired, designated or taken. The state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA) Land Division recently made the determination, in agreement with our legal position and contrary to the opposite opinion from Town counsel, that this property is in fact protected under Article 97 of the Constitution. This is incredibly important and significant because this property is home to our public water supply wells, drawing water from our aquifer to distribute to all community members on Town Water. The long-term protection of this site and our public water supply must be a top priority for the Town.

Our community’s health and wellbeing depends on it.

Moorlands Management District Protected Planning Board Rules in Support of Moorlands Habitat This September the Planning Board concluded more than 6 months of public hearings on a proposal to redevelop a property including the construction of a pool at 41 West Miacomet Avenue. This property falls within a special zoning district called the Moorlands Management District (MMD). The MMD is an overlay district in the Nantucket Zoning Bylaw with a purpose to protect areas of the island known to be excellent examples of heaths and moorlands, which represent an extremely fragile and unique environment, and are a rare and endangered landform of North America. This zoning district has its own set of performance standards which must be met in order to develop or redevelop a property, including very limited structural footprints and areas of impervious surface. Pools are only allowed in the MMD by Special Permit. The Nantucket Land & Water Council opposed the proposal for a pool and other native vegetation disturbances at this location due to unavoidable impacts to the surrounding moorlands, and the interests that the MMD exists to protect. We are grateful for the Planning Board’s careful deliberation of this application and for their appropriate denial of a pool at this location.

4 | ADVOCACY 4 NEWS

2023 Water Fund Challenge Grant We

Love Our Nantucket Waters

In 2023, some dedicated members of the NLWC board have, once again, come together to offer a generous Water Fund Challenge Grant to the organization. Any gift to our Water Fund will be matched on a 1:1 basis up to $75,000.

Thank You to our 2023 Water Fund Challenge Grant Donors!

Susan and Michael Baer | Mary-Randolph Ballinger | The Cox Family Foundation | Lucy Dillon Robert and Barbara Friedman | Peter and Bonnie McCausland | Alan and Virginia Nathan Lars and Jane Soderberg Your support is critical—and every donation counts.

Make DOUBLE THE IMPACT. Help us meet our goal of $150,000 to protect and preserve Nantucket’s water resources

DONATE TODAY! WATER FUND PROJECTS

In 2023, the NLWC Water Fund—a donor-restricted fund dedicated to supporting collaborative marine and freshwater projects on Nantucket—has helped to support the following projects, initiatives and educational programs: Nantucket PFAS Well Testing Project | Eelgrass Restoration in Nantucket Harbor | Green Crab Harvesting Program | Island Pond Sampling Program | Weekly Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring | Weekly Rainwater Sampling with Nutrient Monitoring | Water-focused Monitoring of Zoning Planning Board & ConCom Meetings | Dye Tab Distribution Program (for vessels in Nantucket Harbor | Eelgrass-friendly Anchor Initiative | Waterkeeper Alliance North Atlantic Summit | 2023 State of the Harbor Forum | Youth Education with the NYC Junior Yacht Club Program | Youth Education with the GHYC Foundation Youth Harbor Education Program

RESEARCH NEWS Eelgrass-friendly Mooring This past summer in close collaboration with the Nantucket Harbormaster, the Nantucket Land and Water Council (NLWC) achieved a significant milestone by transitioning to an innovative mooring system for our dedicated Waterkeeper boat, the Mary-Randolph. This strategic shift in our mooring approach represents a leap forward in our commitment to preserving the delicately balanced ecosystem of the harbor. Traditional mooring tackle, which involves heavy chains and mushroom anchors, drags along the harbor bottom at low tide. This tears out eelgrass through a process known as scour. However, our adoption an eco-rode mooring system, characterized by a pyramid anchor with a short length of chain suspended by a buoy, has enabled us to moor our vessel whilst avoiding the scouring impacts typically associated with conventional moorings.

We look forward to continuing our work with the Harbormaster to determine the effectiveness of this style of mooring. We hope to save acres of eelgrass simply by converting existing setups in our harbors.

Every boater can contribute to harbor protection while still enjoying their time on the water.

Photo by NLWC Eelgrass Manager Noah Singer

5 | RESEARCH NEWS

7th Annual State of the Harbor Forum: Nutrient Pollution & the Health of Our Eelgrass On July 19th, the Nantucket Land & Water Council welcomed Dr. Alyssa Novak, Research Associate Professor of Boston University, to present her findings following our Health Assessment of Eelgrass Meadows in Nantucket and Madaket Harbors. This work was supported by the NLWC Water Fund, with funding from the Great Harbor Yacht Club and Nantucket Land & Water Council Marine Grants Program, and the Nantucket Shellfish Association.

Dr. Novak concluded that the eelgrass in Nantucket Harbor is thermally stressed and increasing water temperatures will continue to be a problem in the future. She also declared that our eelgrass is clearly declining due to excess Nitrogen in our waters from fertilizer, wastewater, and the

atmosphere, and that specifically reducing or eliminating fertilizer use in the harbor watersheds would result in a substantial improvement to our water quality and our eelgrass health.

The NLWC continued to work with Dr. Novak and the Town Natural Resources Department throughout 2023 to advance our eelgrass restoration program by planting thousands of seeds and plants at our restoration sites in Monomoy and at 5th bend. This restoration program will continue for several more years in our effort to restore habitat and to determine the most successful methods of planting eelgrass in Nantucket Harbor.

COMMUNITY NEWS Trashtag!

Photo by Bill Hoenk

The NLWC Associates executed another excellent edition of the Trash Tag event. This year NLWC collaborated with the Nantucket Clean Team which brought in a robust group of hard working islanders and families together to toss trash where it belongs!

The team met bright and early on a Saturday morning to divide and conquer the surrounding area and along the beach of the Surfside Parking lot.

Everyone who showed up on this steamy summer morning were celebrated with big thanks and fresh lemonade! We collectively filled up an entire dump truck full of trash off the streets, sidewalks and beach. Many thanks to the NLWC Associates, the Nantucket Clean Team, and the Nantucket DPW for their support.

6 | COMMUNITY NEWS

THANK YOU TO OUR 2023 TABLE HOSTS

Photo by Bill Hoenk

2023 Annual Labor Day Dinner Celebration

The Cox/Bartram/Farrell Families Susan Baer & Nancy Gillespie Mary-Randolph Ballinger Ritchie Battle Bill and Margi Brenizer Lucy Dillon Bob and Barbara Friedman Charlie and Emmy Kilvert Peter and Bonnie McCausland Brooks and Meredyth Smith

Over Labor Day weekend, the Nantucket Land & Water Council celebrated another year of water and natural resources protection at our Annual Dinner. This year’s dinner was co-chaired by Susan Baer and Mary-Randolph Ballinger and was hosted by Susan Baer. It was a perfect evening to share in the energy and enthusiasm of the NLWC’s ongoing work and mission. Comments from our guests included: the weather was ideal; the location of the Baer family home in Tom Nevers— lovely; the food—delicious; the wine—delightful, and, of course, the company—unparalleled! Some even said it was the Land & Water Council’s “best annual dinner, ever”! Many thanks to our generous Table Hosts, our wine sponsor, Donelan Family Wines and our wonderful guests!

NLWC Boat Naming Ceremony On Friday, June 30th, many members of our NLC Water Fund Founders Circle joined us on the town pier to celebrate the naming of our new Waterkeeper boat “The Mary-Randolph” and the launch of our summer water protection programs!

Emily Molden, our Executive Director, tossed an honorary shot of green crab whisky over the boat while Noah Singer, our Eelgrass Restoration Manager placed the symbolic bayberry bough across the bow and the group raised our glasses in a toast of celebration and gratitude to NLWC board member and Water Fund supporter, Mary-Randolph Ballinger who generously donated the newly-named Waterkeeper boat to the NLWC in the fall of 2022! RJ Turcotte, our dedicated Photo by Grey Lady Aerials Waterkeeper (who was off-island at the time) was there with us in spirit as Emily detailed our many exciting summer program plans and Harbormaster, Sheila Lucey provided an update on our collaborative projects! Thanks are also due to Sheila Lucey for ensuring we had a perfect place for our dockside event. We capped off an informative and fun event with sparkling wine, a raw bar and light bites at the Nantucket Lobster Trap!

Trashion Show At the beginning of August, Cisco executed another incredibly successful installment of the Trashion Show. This year Cisco Brewers committed significant proceeds to the Nantucket Land and Water Council and Ocearch. NLWC’s own Nantucket Waterkeeper, RJ Turcotte, participated by embodying a superhero Nantucket desperately needs— the PFAS Piggy!

NLWC’s Steampunk Superhero idea came to life thanks to our amazing designers: islanders, Emma Young, Rowan Blake and NLWC Staff.The “PFAS Piggy” (PIGE) refers to a specialized technique of blasting water samples with subatomic particles that can identify the presence of any or all types of “forever chemicals” (PFAS).

The NLWC is working with The Nantucket PFAS Action Group, the University of Notre Dame and NRDC to pioneer a well testing program that would make sending our water samples off-island to be tested using the incredible, new PFAS PIGE (“Piggy”) technique both inexpensive and widely available.

The event was a great opportunity to bring more awareness and attention to the impacts that we have on our waters and ecosystems. Thank you Cisco!

Photo by Chris Tran Photography

7 | COMMUNITY NEWS

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NANTUCKET LAND & WATER COUNCIL

2023 WAT E R

NEWS PO Box 502, Nantucket, MA 02554 www.nantucketlandcouncil.org 508.228.2818

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2023 Summer Staff This summer, the NLWC was joined by four staff members who helped aid in our efforts to protect and conserve the natural character of Nantucket. Our Eelgrass Restoration Manager, Noah Singer, was able to oversee another season of eelgrass seeding and transplanting, working to ensure the future vitality of the Nantucket Harbor. Emily Taylor, this year’s UVM Summer Research Intern, provided valuable assistance in monitoring water quality throughout the island’s many sources. This included sampling and examining wells, ponds, and rainwater and conducting research focused on expanding the health of our waterscapes. This year the NLWC welcomed two Policy Interns for the first time Willa Arsenault spent many hours in the Atheneum looking into policy diffusion techniques centered around issues like fertilizer regulations, public waterfront access, and more!

Looking forward to the 50th anniversary of the NLWC, we were also lucky enough to have Nantucket local Thibault Antonietti who worked to catalog decades of newsletters and NLWC land protection history.

Engaging with the island’s environment, whether it was through exploring its sandy shores, participating in local events, or learning about conservation efforts, our summer staff members cultivated a deeper connection with Nantucket. They learned to appreciate the island’s natural beauty and the importance of preserving it for future generations.

Noah Singer

Emily Taylor

Willa Arsenault

Thibault Antonietti