Page 2 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, July 10, 2020 ANGELO’S FULL SERVICE "42 Years of Excellence!" 1978-2020 Regular Unleaded $1.939 Mid Unleaded $2.539 Super $2.599 Diesel Fuel $2.459 KERO $4.159 Diesel $2.219 HEATING OI 24-Hour Burner Service Call for Current Price! (125—gallon minimum) DEF Available by Pump! Open an account and order online at: www.angelosoil.com (781) 231-3500 (781) 231-3003 367 LINCOLN AVE • SAUGUS • OPEN 7 DAYS Law Offices of John Mackey & ASSOCIATES * PERSONAL INJURY * REAL ESTATE * FAMILY LAW * GENERAL PRACTICE * PERSONAL BANKRUPTCY 14 Norwood St., Everett, MA 02149 Phone: (617) 387-4900 Fax: (617) 381-1755 John Mackey, Esq. WWW.JMACKEYLAW.COM Patricia Ridge, Esq. * Katherine M. Brown, Esq. City doing its part to cut phosphorus level in Mystic River Watershed By Christopher Roberson I n concert with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) recently released a report indicating that the amount of phosphorus in the Mystic River Watershed needs to decrease by 60 percent to fully comply with water quality standards. According to the Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA), excessively high phosphorus levels accelerate the growth of invasive species, such as water chestnut and Eurasian watermilfoil, and cyanobacteria. Therefore, to achieve the task of reducing the amount of phosphorus in the water, the watershed communities will need to construct green infrastructure to send stormwater into the ground rather than into the watershed’s 44 lakes and ponds. In Everett, that effort is already underway. “The city of Everett is investing in green infrastructure to divert runoff from storm drains and redirect it into the ground,” said Mayor Carlo DeMaria. With the opening of Encore Boston Harbor one year ago, there have been significant efforts to clean up the Malden River. “We have built multiple rain gardens, bioswales, distributed rain barrels, updated our driveway ordinances and maintained one of the most aggressive street sweeping programs of any community in the Commonwealth,” said DeMaria. MyRWA Executive Director Cyanobacteria and algae bloom, caused by elevated phosphorus levels, plagued the Mystic River during the summer of 2017. (Photo Courtesy of Jack Bitney) Patrick Herron said his organization began monitoring phosphorus levels five years ago. “We are thrilled that the EPA and MassDEP partnered with us on this effort and even more thrilled to be working with our municipalities to decrease nutrient inputs and improve water quality with the implementation of nature-based solutions,” he said. In addition, an Alternative Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) was established which “describes the amount of a pollutant that a waterbody can absorb and still meet water quality standards.” “With the newly released Alternative TMDL our local Mystic communities have another tool to help stop the growing problem of excessive phosphorus in our water bodies,” said MyRWA Watershed Scientist Andrew Hrycyna. Unlike a traditional TMDL, the Alternative TMDL does not put “binding requirements on municipalities.” “We greatly value these partnerships, and view them as a key to developing plans and implementing actions to improve water quality in the Mystic River Watershed communities,” said MassDEP Commissioner Martin Suuberg. “The flexibility of this nontraditional approach allows communities to more quickly turn their attention and resources toward the implementation of actions that directly address nutrient impairments in the watershed.” EPA Regional Administrator Dennis Deziel spoke highly of the Alternative TMDL. “The EPA is proud of this innovative and collaborative plan to restore water quality and aquatic habitat in the Mystic River Watershed,” he said. “EPA staff worked closely with MassDEP and the Mystic River Watershed Association to develop this adaptive tool that will allow local municipal leaders the flexibility they need to make decisions about how to reduce phosphorus levels in stormwater and other sources that are causing harmful algal blooms and the spread of invasive aquatic species.” City receives more than $850K in Gaming Commission grants T he City of Everett is proud to announce it has received $859,000 in community mitigation grants from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC). The MGC announced the grants to the city and other municipalities across the Commonwealth on June 23. “This funding could not come at a more opportune time,” said Mayor Carlo DeMaria. “It’s no secret we are going through a rough time with the economy right now. This funding will help us continue to support the city of Everett’s needs.” Everett received a total of four grants – half of them earmarked for transportation and the other half for public safety: • $184,000 towards the Everett Police Department • $200,000 towards the Everett Fire Department • $375,000 towards the Northern Strand Community Trail • $100,000 towards the Everett Port “I’m happy that the Mass. Gaming Commission saw the need to reimburse the city for our services at the resort,” said Fire Chief Anthony Carli. “We recognized early on that we had an increase in calls on site, and we wanted to maintain our level of service to the residents, while also responding to calls at Encore.” Members of the fund review team reviewed applications over the course of five months. As part of the review process, applications were sent to the licensees and the state Department of Transportation for their review. Prices subject to change GOD BLESS AMERICA! FLEET
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