Fernandes and legislative colleagues issue letter demanding Holtec stop forced wastewater evaporation at Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant
BOSTON – Tuesday, March 26, Representative Dylan Fernandes joined legislative colleagues in calling on Holtec leadership to immediately stop the forced evaporation of radioactive wastewater at Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant.
“The forced evaporation of untreated radioactive wastewater raises health and safety concerns,” said Rep. Fernandes. “Holtec has repeatedly breached the public trust and needs to be held accountable for the safe decommissioning of the power plant. We are calling on them to stop forced evaporation until MassDEP can analyze the health and safety implications for the people of Plymouth and the surrounding communities.”
The letter, signed by legislative colleagues from across Cape Cod and the South Shore, calls on Holtec to stop the forced evaporation of radioactive wastewater until the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) can fully analyze this untested method of wastewater disposal.
Holtec previously proposed discharging over 1 million gallons of radioactive waste directly into the Cape Cod Bay. This plan was met with significant public opposition and was tentatively denied by DEP. Instead of seeking a safer alternative, Holtec installed electric submersion heaters to evaporate the contaminated water without notifying the public or state regulators. This method results in higher exposure to radioactive tritium for surrounding communities.
“We deserve transparency and accountability when it comes to the handling of nuclear waste and residents deserve to know exactly whether forced evaporation will impact their health and safety,” Fernandes continued.
Fernandes has served as the State Representative for the Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket district since 2017. He’s running for State Senate in the Plymouth and Barnstable district to succeed Senator Su Moran, who announced last November she would not seek re-election.

by Linda Ibbitson Hurd
Shortly after I moved to Halifax in the 70’s, an older couple moved in across the street from me. They were to become very important to my kids and me. My marriage had broken up and I was alone with two young children. My son Brian was starting second grade and my daughter Heidi was four and also deaf. I was holding down a job so I could keep my house and I needed someone to get my son off to school in the morning and to take Heidi until I got home in the afternoon.
The man and his wife who moved in were friendly and my kids and I liked them right away. Their names were Kitty and Les. They were from the Boston area, Les, a retired respiratory therapist from the Deaconess Hospital and Kitty a seamstress. As we got to know each other and they found out my situation, Kitty offered to help with my kids and agreed to the price I could afford to pay.
My ex was not good about keeping in touch with our kids and Heidi especially became attached to Les. Kitty and Les were a couple of color and one winter morning when my kids and I were in Cumberland Farms on a Sunday picking up a few groceries, Les walked into the store. Heidi spotted him from the back of the store and started running, her blonde ponytails flying out behind her while she yelled as loud as she could, “Dada!” Les kneeled down on one knee and opened his arms as she ran into them for a big hug. He was smiling and chuckling as people were curiously looking on. The memory still touches my heart.
Kitty and Les were good to my kids and they went willingly every weekday morning to their house. As time passed we grew closer to them and I got to know them very well. They became like family to us. Some years later when I married again, they came to my wedding. I met and got to know some of their family, one being a niece of Kitty’s who was a mounted Police officer in Boston and patrolled on horse back.
As Les aged he developed diabetes. He’d walk over to visit me when Kitty was busy with a customer who needed sewing done and begged me to make him a lemon meringue pie. My heart went out to him but I told him I couldn’t because of his health and because it would upset Kitty. What did finally pacify him was being able to have a small dish of ice cream on a regular basis.
As his health declined I went over to visit with him often. He became like a second father to me, I could talk to him about anything. He eventually needed a hospital bed which was delivered to the house. Kitty took such good care of him and he was able to stay at home with help from a visiting nurse.
One morning when I got up I had a sinking feeling something was wrong. I saw one of my neighbors come out of Kitty’s house and he looked sad. As I stepped outside he looked at me, nodding towards Kitty’s house and I went right over. When I went in Kitty was standing beside Les’s bed, tears running down her face. I gave her a big hug and she said Les had just passed.
Every Easter Les gave Kitty an Easter Lily and every year he’d plant it in their front yard in hopes it would bloom the next year. Some bloomed but were scraggly, they never did well. The Easter after Les passed I was in my kitchen when I heard someone calling my name. I looked outside and Kitty was coming up my walk. “Come, you have to see this, please come!”. She seemed dazed and close to tears. Alarmed, I went with her. As we approached her house a strong scent filled the air and to my amazement her small front yard was filled with beautiful Easter Lilies, all in bloom. She gestured toward the flowers saying, “this is not of this world; do you think this is the sign Les promised me when he got to Heaven?” I told her without a doubt I knew it was.

Plympton’s Town Clerk Tara Shaw has announced the Annual Plympton Town Election Calendar.
• Plympton’s Annual Town Meeting: May 15, 7 p.m. at the Dennett Elementary School, 80 Crescent St., Plympton
• Plympton’s Special Town Meeting: May 15, 8 p.m. at the Dennett Elementary School, 80 Crescent St., Plympton
• Last date to register to vote for Annual and Special Town Meeting and Election – Friday, May 3, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Plympton’s Annual Town Election, Saturday, May 18, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Town House, 5 Palmer Rd., Plympton.
Candidates for Election – Important Deadlines
CANDIDATES FOR ELECTION-IMPORTANT DEADLINES
The last day to submit nomination papers to the Board of Registrars/Town Clerk is Friday, March 29, 2024 at 5 p.m. at the Town Clerk’s office.
The last day to object or withdraw Nomination papers is Wednesday, April 17, 2024, at 5 p.m.
Nomination papers are available in the Town Clerk’s office during regular business hours: Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. or by special appointment. Nomination papers may be obtained will be given ONLY to the person seeking nomination, OR, to a person presenting a signed authorization form from the candidate. Nomination papers must be signed by at least 20 registered Plympton voters.
Plympton Positions on the ballot include:
• One (1) Selectman for a three-year term.
• One (1) Board of Assessor member for a three-year term.
• One (1) Board of Health member for a three-year term.
• One (1) Finance Committee member for a three-year term.
• One (1) Library Trustee for a three-year term.
• One (1) Planning Board member for a three-year term.
• One (1) Plympton School Committee member for a three-year term.
• One (1) Town Clerk for a three-year term.
• One (1) Tree Warden for a three-year term.
For answers to any questions regarding the election, email: [email protected]

Deb Anderson
Express staff
SLT Corporation of Carver has withdrawn its application to operate an ABC (Asphalt, Brick, and Concrete) recycling facility on property located off Spring Street in Carver and Plympton.
Carver, Plympton, and Kingston health agents and other interested parties received notice from the Massachusetts Dept. of Environmental Protection Southeast Regional Office in Lakeville, that the SLT Construction Corporation’s permit application was withdrawn. On Feb. 12, 2024, MassDEP officially withdrew SLT’s application no. 22-SW46A/47A-0004-APP.
The application was denied at the Feb. 2 meeting of the Plympton Zoning Board of Appeals, where the board reviewed Plympton’s definition of Light Manufacturing, and concluded that an ABC operation did not fit that definition.
The roll call vote of the Zoning Board of Appeals was unanimous in upholding the decision of the Zoning Enforcement Officers, Tom Millias, and Kathy Cannizzo.
Plympton’s first phase of the public hearing on SLT Corporation’s application to site its ABC recycling plant on property off Spring Street was held on Jan. 4, to a room full of concerned Plympton residents. The continued hearing brought several attorneys from SLT armed with a 32-page slide presentation showing the workings of the proposed business.
Plympton’s Zoning Enforcement Officers issued their determination to deny the SLT application because the property is in a Groundwater Protection District and water would be used to mitigate the dust from crushing asphalt, brick, and concrete into rubble. There was no method stated to return the water to state drinking water standards.
Second, the definition of “Light Manufacturing” in Plympton’s by-laws states that the fabrication, assembly, processing finishing work and packaging must be done in a manner such that noise, dust, odor, vibration, or similar objectionable features are confined to the premises and are in no way objectionable to abutting property.
SLT maintained that any vibration, dust, noise, or odor would not be felt outside of the Spring Street, Plympton’s property lines. As the Spring Street property abuts Carver, the entrance and exit for the facility would be through Carver.
The MassDEP sent a letter dated Feb. 13 to Peter Opachiski, SLT Construction Corporation, stating that the permit application has been officially withdrawn.

Halifax selectmen met Tuesday, Jan. 23, at the Halifax Town Hall. They first awarded an energy management proposal for the coming year. Out of the three bidders, Energy Advocates, LLC., of North Easton was $2,000 per month; Amado Energy Solutions from Attleboro at $4,000 per month, and Wesson and Sampson, with a number of offices throughout the East Coast was highest at $7500 per month.
Kathy Stanley’s company, Energy Advocates, LLC, was lowest by far, Town Administrator Cody Haddad said, and she has worked with several other area towns. Haddad has worked with her in the past, saying her credentials are outstanding. The funding for the first year will be paid for with $24,000 ARPA funds and year two costs will become part of the operating budget for Halifax. The town may also apply to Green Communities to fund part of that cost. Selectmen awarded the contract to Energy Advocates, LLC.
Jonathan Saphire, representing Monponsett Events LLC d/b/a The Lake House, met with selectmen in a scheduled hearing to see if the board will approve a change to their all alcohol and common victualer’s license to include a secured lawn space and courtyard area at their 550 Monponsett St. location. Saphire told the board that they would have security through the Halifax Police for each event. Selectman Jonathan Selig asked how close the area is to Monponsett Pond; saying he didn’t want patrons to end up in the water. Saphire responded that they don’t want that either and they have plantings that help delineate the water’s edge.
One of the Monponsett Street neighbors voiced her concern that event guests outside with their drinks and cigarettes would put their litter into the pond: flip a spent cigarette or toss an unwanted drink. Saphire responded that they generally have a designated smoking area, and the area would be supervised. Selectman John Bruno pointed out that the pond is a treasured resource in town and echoed the concern that the integrity of the pond be foremost. Saphire agreed.
Jeremy Gillespie of Richview Avenue told selectmen that he is concerned that outside music would disrupt nearby family life. Saphire assured him that any complaints would be handled appropriately. Selectmen voted to extend the area covered by the All Alcoholic and Common Victualer’s license as requested.
Selectmen approved the requests from Steven King to use the Town Green for live entertainment and a Farmers’ Market for multiple dates during the upcoming warmer months.
Bruno asked his board to approve the new contract negotiated with Chief of Police Joao Chaves. “Glad to have you on board for three more years, Chief,” Bruno said.
Bruno asked his board to acknowledge a $20,000 check from MacDonald Industries for landfill repairs. The board accepted the check with their thanks.
Chief Joao Chaves asked selectmen to approve the appointment of Stephen Raddatz as a Police Patrolman. Chaves praised Raddatz as a good applicant who will become a valued member of the department. Raddatz came to Halifax from Whitman, where he has worked as a special police officer and also from the Weymouth School Dept. where he has worked as a security paraprofessional. Raddatz told selectmen his approach to conflict resolution is “Cool, calm, and collected.” He grew up in Whitman and is a graduate of Whitman-Hanson Regional High School and lives in Hanson with his wife.
Jeremy Gillespie told selectmen that he would like to reactivate the waterways for the river herring to make it back to spawning areas that have been previously blocked. Gillespie said that everything is looking pretty good and now is the time to get the Alewife Restoration Committee active again. Bruno asked Gillespie what his goals are for the committee. Gillespie said that there is grant money available to help defray any restoration costs. “I think it’s important we do this now.” Selig told Gillespie, “If we can get the herring running back, it would be fantastic,” but expressed concerns as to how the committee would work and who would have ultimate authority to co-ordinate the work needed. Gillespie said that the ultimate authority for the work done would lie with the Conservation Commission. Town Administrator Cody Haddad will research the committee and bring his findings back to the board at the next meeting.
Bob Valery, Halifax Health Agent, spoke to the board regarding landfill repair and engineering at the capped MacDonald Landfill. The TRC Environmental Corp. will provide engineering work to solve the perennial problem. Haddad said he is looking for a long-term fix and wants to be able to show the plans to a contractor and say this is what Halifax wants done. The expected cost for the engineering is $17,400, less than the gifted $20,000 from MacDonald Landfill.
Haddad complimented the consultant who is helping Halifax develop an MBTA Action Plan, saying the consultant from the public planning partnership did a really nice job with his presentation last week, listening to the concerns of what Halifax wants in that while Halifax wants to be compliant, it also doesn’t want the by-law change to have a major impact on the community… the culture of the town.