The Massachusetts National Guard intends to answer concerns raised by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency about a machine gun range proposed for Joint Base Cape Cod. In a new report, the EPA concluded the range would endanger drinking water and create a significant public health hazard.
“[We] will provide a robust response during the public comment period,” a Guard spokesperson said in a statement. “The Massachusetts National Guard remains deeply committed to upholding environmental protections while providing our personnel with a range that serves our complex training needs and enhances soldier readiness.”
Meanwhile, local environmentalists reacted with enthusiasm to the EPA draft finding, while lawmakers offered a more measured response to the report.
The EPA will accept public comment on its report for 60 days, until June 26, before a recommendation is sent to the EPA administrator in Washington, D.C. for a final decision. In that time, the Guard may submit new data or a new proposal. After that point, if EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan signs off on the regional EPA report, the $11.5 million, eight-lane range project would not be eligible for federal funding, effectively ending the Guard’s decade-long effort.
The EPA report revealed that federal environmental officials believe the Guard didn’t properly balance expected benefits of the range against impacts of the proposed project. It said that the Guard’s efforts would not be enough even if it attempted to address concerns about “the sensitivity of the aquifer, existing environmental conditions (including cumulative impacts), scope of the proposed construction and operations and projected long-term use and associated contaminant loading.”
“While it’s expected that some of these concerns could be addressed during the review and approval process,” the report said, “EPA believes, based on its own research and current information provided by the Massachusetts Army National Guard, that it is uncertain that any combination of operations, maintenance, and monitoring can be developed in such a way as to minimize the release of contaminants to the maximum extent feasible… and to adequately reduce the potential to contaminate the aquifer so as to create a significant public health hazard.”
The EPA and Guard specifically disagreed about whether copper from the machine gun fire could make its way through the groundwater and into the Cape’s drinking water. The EPA described part of the Guard’s copper study as “inconclusive,” “missing samples,” using "inappropriate composition of the experimental solutions,” lacking “discussion on differences between laboratory and field conditions,” and having “incomplete analyses of contaminants of concern.”
Tom Cambareri, a hydrologist and former water resources manager for the Cape Cod Commission who now serves on the Joint Base Cleanup team, said the EPA report was a “pleasant surprise.”
“What they're saying is that the weight of the evidence shows that we're going to have all these bullets. We already have copper in the groundwater. And we can't really tell you at this point that over a period of time… that these levels aren't going to trend up into being more problematic,” Cambareri said.
In a joint statement, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, and Congressman Bill Keating, whose district includes the Cape, also weighed in.
“We appreciate the EPA’s work to analyze and determine the environmental impact of a proposed machine gun range project at Camp Edwards on Joint Base Cape Cod—an important review that we requested in April 2021 to ensure that Cape Cod’s sole-source aquifer is not harmed by development activities,” they said. “ As JBCC is a critical part of the Cape Cod community, we urge JBCC to continue to work collaboratively with local officials and concerned residents to protect Cape Cod’s sole-source aquifer from contamination.”
Meanwhile, environmental activists who’ve been vocal in their opposition to the range celebrated. Activists with 350 Cape Cod, an environmental organization, sent out an email blast several hours after news broke.
“It's a great day for climate activists!” it began. “Informed citizens made this argument from the start: a shooting range on the Upper Cape Water Supply Reserve poses unacceptable risk to our sole source aquifer.”
Mark Forest, chairman of the Barnstable County Board of Regional Commissioners, commended the EPA for its “rigorous review and evaluation.”
“This reserve is among the most ecologically significant conservation areas in the Northeast and serves as the primary source of drinking water for Cape Cod,” he said in a statement. “Barnstable County’s Board of Commissioners has consistently and staunchly opposed the project for its potential threat to the region's water supply. We urge all residents of Cape Cod to demonstrate their support of the EPA's efforts and participate in the upcoming public hearing.”
Andrew Gottlieb, executive director of the Association to Preserve Cape Cod, also urged the public to speak out, but emphasized his frustration that for years the Guard has said the proposed range would have “no significant impact” on the environment or humans in the area.
“I think the Guard brought this on themselves. They adopted a process where they ignored hundreds, if not thousands, of public comments, raising concerns,” Gottlieb said. “Once you had outside experts look at the data themselves, it elevated the concerns everybody raised about potential impacts on the drinking water system.”
The EPA has scheduled public hearing on May 24 at the Center for Active Living at 70 Quaker Meetinghouse Road in Sandwich to host a broader community discussion of the findings. It will begin at 6:30 p.m. Individuals with accessibility or translation requests may contact Melanson.kate@epa.gov for assistance.
