Herbicide spraying still up for discussion
The state has agreed to extend the public comment period on NStar's latest yearly plan for spraying herbicides on power line rights of way.
Following a closed-door meeting with Cape and Islands legislators last week, officials with the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources have extended from Jan. 4 to Feb. 18 the comment period on the utility's 2014 plan.
Mary-Leah Assad, a department spokeswoman, said the 45-day extension would allow municipal officials and residents more time to review NStar's mapping of environmentally sensitive areas.
The comment period's overlap with the holiday season would have prevented Cape officials and constituents from weighing in on NStar's plan, state Sen. Daniel Wolf, D-Harwich, said in a statement Monday.
"I am pleased that during this busy time of year MDAR is allowing more time for public input into the use of herbicides under the power lines in our communities," Wolf said. "The outcome will hopefully be the use of methods of vegetation control that do not compromise our water resources."
Critics of the spraying have voiced concern that the chemicals could potentially contaminate the Cape's groundwater, and all 15 towns have passed resolutions opposing the utility's herbicide use. But NStar has consistently countered, arguing that it is a heavily regulated utility that sprays only those chemicals approved for environmentally sensitive areas.
After meeting with the delegation in September, the state extended the comment period on the 2013 plan to November, delaying the utility's plans to resume spraying herbicides following a voluntary four-year moratorium. A second meeting resulted in a second 45-day extension, this time for NStar's 2014 plan.
"We respect and will abide by the DAR's decision to extend the public comment period," NStar spokesman Michael Durand said. "We're prepared to answer any additional questions they or public officials may have for us during that time."
With winter temperatures, the latest comment extension will not have same delaying effect on NStar's spraying, said state Rep. Brian Mannal, a Centerville Democrat who arranged both of the delegation's meetings with MDAR. But before the end of the current legislative session, Mannal said, the Cape and Islands delegation will explore proposals to strengthen regulations on herbicide use.
"We're not really at a point in time where anything is going on out there with respect to spraying," Mannal said, "so it only makes sense to give the public and every interested party more of an opportunity to review the plan."
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