January 23, 2018 (DEVENS, MA) – Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) announced today that it has served formal notice of a lawsuit against MassDevelopment and the Devens Enterprise Commission for their pollution of the Nashua River. The letter alleges that, in restructuring the former Fort Devens site, these developers neglected to obtain, or even apply for, the legally required stormwater discharge permit under the federal Clean Water Act.
“Fort Devens should be setting the gold standard for building a thriving, ecologically sound community from the ground up,” said Christopher Kilian, Director of CLF’s Clean Energy and Healthy Forests program. “Instead, these developers are putting neighbors at risk by allowing unrestricted, unpermitted pollution into the already-distressed Nashua River. It’s time to make Fort Devens a key feature of this vital river’s road to recovery rather than a barrier in its way.”
Among the hazardous chemicals discharged by Devens are perfluorooctanoic acid (“PFOA”) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (“PFOS”), two pollutants that are extremely dangerous for pregnant women and newborns. Other pollutants from this development include petroleum hydrocarbons, nitrogen, and metals (including zinc).
A copy of CLF’s notice letter can be found here.
CLF experts are available for further comment.
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