[MassHistPres] dam removal question

[Joseph Larson]

Marilyn:

 

The Pelham Historical and Conservation Commissions  have both been involved with a state-ordered dam removal. The following is based on our experience.

 

The state Wetlands and Rivers Act will apply to this, as will the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) so your Conservation Commission will be holding public meetings and hearings. The Secretary of Environmental Affairs will also hold a MEPA review hearing (which includes historic preservation and MHC). You will have these avenues to present your position. Since the federal government, through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is also involved there will be a public hearing under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. I suggest that you send a formal request to MHC requesting status as a consulting party under the MEPA historic review and send the same request to NOAA for the Section 106b review. This should ensure that you will be invited to weigh in.

 

Our dam was a forced removal under a order of the state dam safety program that gave the private dam owner only two options open: remove the dam or repair it to state standards. If he did neither he faced a  long large series of daily fines. We succeeded in getting the abutments of the dam preserved as historic evidence and a historic plaque erected that tells the history of the dam.

 

Joseph S. Larson, Chairman

Town of Pelham

Historical Commission

27 Arnold Road

Pelham, Mass. 01002-9757

413-256-8256

 

 

 

From: masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu [mailto:masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu] On Behalf Of marilyn.mcarthur at comcast.net
Sent: Tuesday, August 27, 2013 6:57 PM
To: masshistpres at cs.umb.edu
Subject: [MassHistPres] dam removal question

 

Greenfield is working on a plan to remove the historic Wiley & Russell dam on the Green River, with partners including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, American Rivers, and others. The town historic commission and the Museum of Our Industrial Heritage are inclined to save the dam as the centerpiece of a proposed greenway along the Green River through town. (originally a timber crib dam from 1836, reinforced over time)

Have other historic manufacturing towns in Massachusetts faced the challenge of interrupting the dam removal process? What has been the outcome?

 

Marilyn McArthur

Museum of Our Industrial Heritage <http://industrialhistory.org/> 

 

 

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