Activists and local officials are urging Governor Maura Healey to intervene in the Massachusetts Army National Guard’s plan to build a machine gun range on Joint Base Cape Cod, saying this month marks an inflection point in the controversial project.
The Guard has until this coming Monday to award a building contract for a scaled down version of the range — before congressionally dedicated funds for the project expire.
Guard officials argue the range is needed to improve soldier training and cut down on travel time to other bases, but opponents have raised concerns about the range’s environmental impacts.
“Clearly, the Base provides an incredibly important function to the Commonwealth and to the national security. And there is really good work that goes on out there. It's just this one particular area where we just have a significant disagreement,” said Barnstable County Commissioner Mark Forest.
According to Forest, the Guard should not be soliciting contractor bids because the project hasn’t been approved by the state; that approval has been delayed primarily because of draft findings from the Environmental Protection Agency that say the range could contaminate a major drinking water source.
It's not clear when that report could be finalized.
Until that concern — among others — is assuaged, Forest said, Healey should make sure no building contract is awarded.
“There are a number of organizations that have been energizing their supporters to get them to call the governor's office to let the governor know that they really don't want to see that this this particular contract awarded,” he said.
“She's the Commander in chief. She's in charge of the National Guard. The buck stops at her desk. And I think the ask is to not let this get signed, not let it get approved.“
A judge recently ruled the Guard does not need to share information about why they’ve solicited contractor bids until after Oct. 1, and Guard officials did not comment on where their contractor process stands. But officials have previously said their bid solicitation process is simply following a multi-step federal process, and that it does not impact the ongoing state review.
