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Owner: Cedar Meadow Cranberry Co./E.J. Pontiff/Susan Meharg
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Volume of Earth Removal (permitted) 249,000 Cubic Yards
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Permit: Yes, Carver Earth Removal Committee 2012 permit for 100,000 cubic yards and Permit # 101, November 2021. Mining conducted from at least 2014 on according to Carver Earth Removal Permit records.
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Area Impacted: 35 Acres (estimated)
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Claimed Reason for Mining: Cranberry Agriculture-Bog Reservoir
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Solar: Yes, planned 32-acre solar with Borrego Solar; subdivision plan submitted by Beals+Thomas with solar report to Carver Planning Board, April 2022 showing solar on “upland”. Existing solar project is located on the site.
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Plymouth Carver Sole Source Aquifer: Yes, mining in the Aquifer
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Wetlands and Waterways: Yes, mining to be conducted in wetlands for the earth removal under the 2021 Earth Removal Permit. In Feb. 2022, Save the Pine Barrens filed an appeal of a Superseding Order of Determination to MassDEP to require an order of conditions for mining in the wetlands. MassDEP May 25, 2022 Superseding Determination of Applicability makes Positive Determination, requires a notice of intent filing and finds work will remove, fill, dredge or alter resource area (Determinations B 1 and 3). MassDEP states work is “Expansion, into a Bordering Vegetated Wetland, of a reservoir used for cranberry agriculture.” Finds it “could” meet the criteria for an agricultural exemption, 310 CMR 10.04 if limited to maximum of 10,000 sq ft of BVW altered but because project will alter 10.6 acres, NOI is required. Prior wetlands alteration on the site was exempted by the Conservation Commission (email, 2021)
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Archaeological Impacts: Unknown
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Environmental Justice Population: Yes, located in an EJ community for Income
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Ecosystem Impacts: Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP), BioMap 3: Core Habitat Components: Rare Species Core (mining site is located in the Rare Species Core) and adjacent to Forest Core.
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Public Subsidies:
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Mass. Department of Agriculture: $146,000 in cranberry grants
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Solar subsidies/SMART program: Yes, solar subsidies existing and proposed Borrego Solar project planned.
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Other: E.J. Pontiff Cranberry and Susan Meharg are involved in other mining operations in the region. See: 150 Firehouse Road mining operation, Plymouth (2018 to present, over 615,000 cubic yards) permit issued to E.J. Pontiff Cranberry; and numerous projects under the name of “Black Cat Cranberry Corp.” See: Plymouth Earth Removal Permit # 3479 for 206,000 cubic yards for “bog and tailwater pond” issued March 19, 2008; Meharg/Black Cat Cranberry Plymouth Permit 3313, 244,000 cubic yards Sept. 21, 2005 for bogs; Plymouth Permit 2943 Black Cat Cranberry Corp., 340,000 cubic yards for new bogs issued Nov. 11, 1999; Plymouth Permit 3186, 360,000 cubic yards for new bogs issued June 11, 2003; Plymouth Permit 3580 434,000 cubic yards for cranberry expansion issued April 21, 2010; Plymouth Permit 3666, 256,000 cubic yards issued to E.J. Pontiff for bog expansion issued May 16, 2012; Plymouth Permit 2706 issued to Black Cat Cranberry Corp. for 60,000, new bogs and tailwater pond issued Nov. 7, 1995.
