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Ballot measures and evaporating water: The latest on the Pilgrim nuclear plant cleanup fight
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It's Tuesday, even though the forecast makes it feel like a Saturday.
Let's get to the news:
On Beacon Hill: Activists are calling on Gov. Maura Healey and other state leaders to stop radioactive wastewater from evaporating at the site of the decommissioned Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth. As WBUR's John Bender reports, their push comes to the steps of the State House today. This spring, non-binding ballot questions calling on Holtec International, the company cleaning up the site, to stop the evaporation were put up for a vote in town elections across the Cape and South Shore. All the measures passed, and now activists are hand-delivering the results to Beacon Hill today to hammer home the point.
- Catch up: For years, residents and Holtec have been at odds over what to do with the wastewater. Holtec wants to dilute and discharge hundreds of thousands of gallons of it into Cape Cod Bay. But last year, the state's Department of Environmental Protection officially denied that request, which Holtec is appealing. In the meantime, the wastewater is evaporating into the air. (A Holtec spokesperson says the water is filtered to meet safety standards, and had already been evaporating for 50 years.)
- What are the alternatives? Diane Turco, the head of Cape Downwinders, says Holtec has other options, like covering the tank with "a rubber bladder kind of thing" to keep the wastewater from evaporating. " They could store it on site in a tank like they did with the water at Fukushima, or they could truck it to a facility that's licensed to handle this wastewater, like Vermont Yankee did," Turco said.
- What's next: Healey's office declined to immediately comment on the measures. Before any potential action is likely, a potentially more decisive event is on the docket: Holtec's appeal is scheduled to get its first hearing Thursday.
- Go deeper: Holtec argues that discharging the wastewater into the bay is ultimately the safest and most environment-friendly option. But many people who live and work around the bay are skeptical — and suspect the company is opting for the cheapest option. WBUR's Barbara Moran has more on that debate here.
The latest: Dozens of people charged with crimes in Massachusetts are sitting in custody without a lawyer assigned to their case, as a large group of court-appointed attorneys refuse new cases in protest of low pay rates. The work stoppage started in late May. As of last night, the Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers told MassLive that 240 people in Boston and Middlesex County alone have yet to be assigned lawyers, including nearly 60 who are detained.
- Why it matters: MACDL president Shira Diner told MassLive the right to counsel is "a bedrock principle of our justice system" and the number of people without representation amounts to a “full-blown constitutional breakdown.”
At City Hall: Boston is celebrating Caribbean Heritage Month today with a new tradition: the first-ever city-sponsored domino tournament. Teams representing different countries from across the Caribbean diaspora will compete against each other in the City Hall courtyard starting at 2 p.m. The tournament is free to attend, and there'll be music, food and "plenty of good-natured rivalry."
- Why dominoes? Bianca Rose, the city's Caribbean cultural advisor, told WBUR's Rachell Sanchez-Smith they wanted to authentically celebrate one of Boston's fastest-growing populations — and dominoes is a "huge" Caribbean pastime. "It's just not particular to one country," Rose said. "It's a daily habit for many folks, and it's a custom that they also brought here after immigrating."
P.S.— A special election is happening today in the Taunton area to fill the sole vacancy in the State House, after state Rep. Carol Doherty died in February from pancreatic cancer. The contest pits Democratic nominee Lisa Field, a lobbyist for the Massachusetts Nurses Association, against Republican candidate Larry Quintal, a Taunton city councilor and funeral home director. The Taunton Daily Gazette has more on their backgrounds and priorities here and here. Polls close at 8 p.m.
