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Owner: AD Makepeace Cranberry, Wareham MA.
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Volume of Earth Removal: 6,652,425 cubic yards estimated.
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Earth Removal Permit: A permit was issued by the Carver Earth Removal Committee on 7/10/2020 based on A.D. Makepeace's claim that the mining of 4,045,000 cubic yards is necessary for cranberry bogs and a reservoir. For this report, additional unreported volumes are included because there was a mining operation as “site preparation” for the adjacent Borrego Golden Field Solar project. This site is one of six that are the subject of Damage to the Environment lawsuit brought by Ten Residents under the Citizen Suit law. Makepeace supplies aggregate from its lands, such as this site, to its subsidiary Read Custom Soils, LLC, located at 46 Federal Road, Carver MA, across the road from this site. AD Makepeace/Read Custom Soils is known as the largest aggregate mining, sales and distribution operation east of the Mississippi River. This report identifies 17 mining sites operated by A.D. Makepeace Cranberry and an estimated total volume of 28 million cubic yards of sand and gravel removal. Makepeace employs 60 independent truck operators to transport the aggregate materials throughout New England.
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Area Impacted: Forest clearing began between April 2017 and February 2018 according to satellite imagery. About 105 Acres to date have been impacted. The Carver 7/10/2020 Earth Removal Permit covers 85 acres. The Borrego solar project covers at least 50 acres for an eventual total of about 130 acres. Elevations on site, which use pre-destruction data, range from around 120 feet above sea level to as high as 140ft. The adjacent cranberry bogs range around 70 feet. This data is derived from a Spaceborn Digital Elevation Model. With approximately 55 feet of material, primarily high-quality sand from visual evidence, being removed from over 350,000 square yards of land total cubic yardage of approximately 6.5 million.
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Claimed Reason for Mining: Cranberry agriculture (bog construction), site preparation for Borrego Solar “Golden Field” solar project. The MEPA Certificate for the solar project and Tihonet Mixed Use Development review did not address Damage to the Environment from the mining operation.
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Water Supply: Yes, Wells Zone 1, 2
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Plymouth Sole Source Carver Aquifer: Yes. Impacting Aquifer and drinking water. See, Affidavit of Scott Horsley
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Wetlands and Waterways: Yes. See, Affidavit of Scott Horsley
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Archaeological Impacts: Yes. AD Makepeace failed to disclose scope of earth removal operation to the Massachusetts Historical Commission in 2019. The company CEO and President Jim Kane portrayed the mining operation as an “agricultural project” according to a 10/31/2019 letter from MHC. The site is within the 6,500 acre Tihonet Mixed Use Development Area (TMUD) designated under Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act MEPA Certificate 13940. The Massachusetts Historical Commission classified the entire area as archaeologically significant. MEPA and MHC allowed AD Makepeace to side step full MEPA review and issued a sign off to the Damage to the Environment in 2023. STPB Comments to MEPA May 23, 2022, MEPA Certificate 13940: “The significance of the entire TMUD Project was explicitly acknowledged by Massachusetts Historical Commission as recently as 2020: “The archeological reconnaissance survey conducted in 2007 for the overall ADM project indicates that the project impact area is archaeologically sensitive.” 10/30/2020 Letter from MHC to Borrego Solar for ADM Makepeace solar project in TMUD area. ADM has ignored and manipulated the MHC review process and cut the public out. The SRP has failed and continues to fail to provide meaningful opportunity for public input and comment for the Wampanoag people.”
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Environmental Justice Population: Yes. See map below.
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Ecosystem: BioMap 2 Interior Forest, Priority Habitat 512, 514: entire area destroyed.
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Public Subsidies: A.D. Makepeace receives large agricultural subsidies from the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Agriculture for “cranberry farming”. The company also benefits from the technical assistance provided to “cranberry growers” by the UMass Cranberry Extension Service, a taxpayer funded program to help the cranberry industry. In April 2023, the Extension Service broke ground on an $8 mllion expansion of the Cranberry Station in East Wareham. A.D. Makpeace’s CEO and President and Board Chair were in attendance.
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A.D. Makepeace also benefits from electricity ratepayer subsidies by leasing its land for solar projects that are subsidized under the state SMART Solar Program administered by Mass. Department of Energy Resources. U.S. Department of Energy federal subsidies are provided to DOER for the state’s solar program.
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A.D. Makepeace keeps most of its land in “Chapter 61” which allows landowners to pay much lower real estate taxes if they do not develop their land. Mining operators such as A.D. Makepeace keep the land in Chapter 61 even when conducting commercial mining. Cranberry companies also claim tax incentives for “revitalization” of bogs under state law.
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Residents, being fed up with the destruction in their Town caused by AD Makepeace, argued that the Conservation Commission had a duty to protect the natural resources in their Town and uphold the original EIR. Watch the conservation commission meeting here.