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Boston's Morning Newsletter
Mass. plans to remove more dams amid climate concerns
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's daily morning newsletter, WBUR Today. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.
While you were rocking out with Keanu Reeves on Comm. Ave. last night, here’s the music we’re strutting to today:
Dam it: More communities in Massachusetts are getting money from the state to start the process of removing local dams that officials say pose hazards to both humans and wildlife. Gov. Maura Healey’s administration announced yesterday that they’ll award $50,000 each to seven municipalities to start planning the removals. It’s part of a growing effort to demolish aging dams across Massachusetts and New England.
- The big picture: Massachusetts has over 3,000 dams, “most of which no longer serve their original purpose,” according to state officials. And as climate-induced storms intensify, many dams are increasingly at risk to fail and cause dangerous flooding. Hundreds have been identified as potential hazards. “We saw this summer the devastation that can be caused when aging infrastructure gets overwhelmed by extreme weather,” Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper said, referring to the unprecedented flooding in Leominster. (On another note, obsolete dams can also disrupt the migration of cold-water fish.)
- What’s next: The seven dams newly pegged for removal range from a North Andover dam that is upstream of an MBTA commuter rail line to western Massachusetts dams that officials say could flood local towns. (You can read the full list here.) The funding comes after Healey’s office announced a $25 million project for the removal of another eight dams this month, including the historic Bel Air Dam near downtown Pittsfield. Officials say the actual removal of those dams is still at least a year or two away.
- Go deeper: Some worry a year or two isn’t fast enough, given the danger of near-term storms. But as WBUR’s Walter Wuthmann reported last year, the state has a “backlog” of dam removal projects that need funding. Here’s a closer look at the process.
The Boston City Council is expected to vote on funding for the city’s new police contract today — but not before raising some questions about the deal. WBUR’s Simón Rios reports that some councilors questioned Mayor Michelle Wu’s office on the reforms in the new contract that address the issue of arbitration.
- One of the biggest reforms in the contract prevents officers from using the arbitration process to overturn firings if they are accused of certain serious crimes. However, Councilor Kendra Lara asked city negotiator Lou Mandarini why domestic assault and battery isn’t among the more than two dozen crimes on the list (even when “assault and battery to collect a loan” is on the list). “The Boston City Council, as a body, is very much concerned … about protecting women from domestic violence,” Lara said.
- Mandarini suggested the city and the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association couldn’t reach an agreement on the subject during the 18-month negotiation process: “At a certain point you have to conclude, this is as good as we’re going to do.” The BPPA did not immediately return our request for comment.
Sunu-news: Nikki Haley is officially the winner of outgoing New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu’s coveted presidential endorsement. The popular Republican governor gave Haley his nod of support during a town hall event last night in Manchester. WBUR’s Anthony Brooks reports Sununu called Haley, who was governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017, “a fresh face” who could move past the “nonsense and drama” of former President Donald Trump.
- How much does it matter? Unclear. Trump remains the frontrunner in New Hampshire (and elsewhere) by a wide polling margin. And despite his popularity, Sununu’s high-profile endorsements don’t exactly have a great recent record of success. However, a poll this fall did show 13% of Republican primary voters in the state said his endorsement would affect their vote. NHPR has a closer look at the implications of the news here.
Sports betting will soon become legal in a sixth and final New England state. Vermont officials yesterday announced online sports betting will launch on Jan. 11. They also said the industry will be run by three sports betting apps: DraftKings, FanDuel and Fanatics Sportsbook.
- The news comes after Vermont Gov. Phil Scott signed a bill in June to legalize sports betting. Here’s what to know about the new rules.
P.S.— Need a new playlist for your holiday travels? Our opinion section Cognoscenti has put together a “soundtrack to our stories,” inspired by this year’s essays and the songs writers shared. Give it a listen!
