Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Valley mobilizes to defend itself against Wal-Mart (again)!
April 6th deadline for comment letters!
Organizations and individuals across the Valley are launching a campaign today to solicit comment letters to the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act Office (MEPA) by Friday, April 6th.
Wal-Mart has submitted its new proposal for a Hadley "Supercenter," and it isn't pretty. Whether you're concerned about open space, farmland, wetlands, air/water/noise/light pollution, traffic, public safety, emergency response times, the rail trail, smart growth, vibrant downtowns, taxpayer burden, local or foreign workers' rights, or the Valley's unique quality of life, a Wal-Mart Supercenter is a big threat.
Comment letters are taken very seriously. The developer is obligated to respond to each one in its environmental impact report. Letters should be personalized, but to be effective, comments must address matters that are regulated by state permits: traffic congestion and safety; pedestrian and bicycle safety; the filling of wetlands; and protection of farmland and open space.
An analysis of the developer's draft report reveals the following alarming facts (to consider when writing your letter):
- Replacing about 20 acres of open space with a parking lot and a 5 acre store
- Open 24 hours a day, and more than twice the size of the old store
- Weekday traffic on Route 9 is now forecast to rise approximately 25% over current levels—not including the new traffic from the Lowe's and Home Depot projects already approved
- Added traffic will worsen air pollution from volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxide (NOx)
- The developer is disregarding community requests for an underpass to carry the Norwottuck Rail Trail under South Maple Street, where traffic forecasts show one car would cross the Rail Trail every six seconds during peak hours. We must insist on an underpass for the Rail Trail.
- Two of the three alternatives do not comply with wetlands regulations, and the third "proposed alternative" brings the Supercenter to within 114 feet of the Rail Trail.
For more info visit these local sites:
www.hadleyneighbors.org
www.nowaywalmart.com
The developer is required to send free copies of its plan upon request: call 413-452-0445 to get yours. Your comments can be sent by mail, email or fax to:
Mr. Ian Bowles, Secretary of Environmental Affairs
Attention: Mr. Nicholas Zavolas, EOEA Project #13478
MEPA Office
100 Cambridge St., Suite #900
Boston, MA 02114
Email: nicholas.zavolas@state.ma.us
Fax: (617) 626-1181
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