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Location: 0 Cranberry Road, Cranebrook Bogs, Carver MA

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  • Owner:  AD Makepeace Cranberry d/b/a/ Cranebrook Cranberry LLC; Borrego Solar, Lessee.  

  • Volume of Earth Removed: 621,470 Cubic Yards, estimated. 

  • Permit: Yes. In 2019 the Carver Earth Removal Committee (ERC) issued a permit for earth removal at “Cranebrook.” Further research is needed to obtain the permit and truck logs to determine the actual volume. Satellite images show land disturbance and possible earth removal starting about 2005. 

  • According to minutes of the public hearing on A.D. Makepeace’s 2019 earth removal permit application,  A.D. Makepeace’s engineer, Madden (G.A.F. Engineering) Madden state “that he anticipates the amount of removal to be lower than 127,000 cubic yards in 18 months.” ‘Mr. Gibbs [relative of John (Gary) Garretson, III of Slocum Gibbs Cranberry Co., ERC Chair] stated that no hammering would take place but that large rocks require splitting into pieces in order for removal. Mr. Gibbs agreed that the abutters would be notified 1-2 days before the rock splitting would take place…Chairman Garretson stated that no ground water should be disturbed because there is no excavation into the water hole; above groundwater.” Source: ERC minutes 5/19/2019  This description of the work by A.D. Makepeace’s own representatives is of a commercial mining operation. The specific purpose was to level the site of installation of a ground mounted industrial solar installation by Borrego Solar. It was not “necessary” to level the site and extract sand and gravel to site the solar projects. At a MEPA site visit in 2021, Borrego’s project manager admitted that it is not necessary to level sites for solar but when working with A.D. Makepeace to site solar, earth removal is involved.

  • Area Impacted: 13 acres. A small portion of the solar area was altered starting in about 2005. After 2010, piles of material start to show in satellite imagery.  In 2017 and 2018 earth removal increases rapidly with obvious hill cutaways visible in satellite, and areas of open, ponded water appear.

  • Photo below: Mining expansion, March, 2023 at location where solar is sited.

  • Claimed Reason for Mining: Large Scale Ground Mounted Industrial Solar

  • Solar: Yes. 

  • Water Supply: Yes: excavation created ponds. This is the Plymouth Carver Sole Source Aquifer. See photo below, January 2021:

  • Drinking Water Wells: near Zone 1 and 2 and  IWPA designated by MassDEP under the Drinking Water Regulations

  • Wetlands and Waterways: Yes, surrounded by wetlands

  • Archaeological Impacts: Unknown. This area is adjacent to lands identified as archaeologically significant by the Massachusetts Historical Commission.

  • Environmental Justice Population: Yes

  • Ecosystem Impacts: BioMap 3, Core Habitat Components: Priority Natural Communities Core

  • Public Subsidies: A.D. Makepeace benefits from public subsidies in many forms. This site benefits from SMART Solar subsidies. The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources approved rate payer subsidies for the solar project at this site.

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