Oak Bluffs is one of five towns chosen to be part of the Storm Smart program. With the guidance of the Coastal Zone Management team, Liz Durkee and Dave Grunden walk the viewer through all the things that their town is doing to fight Climate Change. OB could very well be a model for the island. Channel 13 on Tues, Oct 20 and Thurs, Oct 22, at 7:30PM

Tues Oct 20th at 7:00 PM in the Oak Bluffs Elementary School

There is one article that deals with 3 projects. The total of all 3 projects is $2,444,425 and are broken down as follows

1. Pumping station and collection system in the area known as the High School Corridor. This system will make available sewer service to the MV. Regional High School, Island Elderly Housing, MV Community Services, the YMCA and Ice Arena. Once connected the amount of nitrogen entering Lagoon Pond will decrease by about 5,000 lbs/year. Currently the Lagoon Pond Watershed is over its limit by 7,000 to 14,000 lbs. This project will remove more than 1/3 of the excess nitrogen entering the pond.
2. Improvements will be made at the wastewater facility with the addition of an activated carbon filter which will elevate the treatment capabilities of the plant to meet the State’s highest standards by achieving water re-use quality water. This will help lower even more nitrogen from not only the Lagoon Pond Watershed but also from the Zone II of the Farm Neck Municipal Well.
3. Final development of the Leonardo Property to increase the discharge capabilities of the plant by 250,000 gallons per day. This will give the town flexibility to tie more properties located in the Lagoon Pond Watershed and Farm Neck Zone II into the system resulting in lower nitrogen entering the pond and removing septic system and cesspools from the Zone II.

The costs of project #1 will be paid for by the affected users so no tax dollars will go towards the re-payment of this project. These same users will pay their fair share of projects #2 & #3 resulting in the town being responsible for between $746,000 and $1,200.000. It is planned to cover these costs through the wastewater department so there will be no need to raise taxes as part of the project. The town is in position to get at least a 40% grant from the USDA as part of the Federal Stimulus Program. Call Joe Alosso with questions 508-922-5279

On Wednesday, October 21, officials of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs will participate in an informal information session and discussion about the Commonwealth’s draft Ocean Management Plan.

The Martha's Vineyard Commission in cooperation with the All-Island Selectmen are hosting the session which will be held in the High School Cafeteria at 6:30 p.m.

This is an opportunity for Vineyarders to ask questions about the analysis and proposals in the Ocean Plan, and for the officials who wrote it to give more specific background and reasoning.

It is not a public hearing. It is a chance to get more information on which public officials and members of the public could base written testimony, which may be submitted until November 23.

All members of the public are welcome to participate. The draft Ocean Plan can be obtained on the EOEEA website. The easiest way to find it is to do a web search for “Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan”.

Mark London, Executive Director
Martha's Vineyard Commission
508-693-3453 x11