The Blue Hills Reservoir on Chickatawbut Road in Quincy, which once offered the longest water view from any road in the Blue Hills Reservation, is being filled with concrete and dirt by the Metropolitan Water Resources Authority, or MWRA.  In early 2007 Governor Deval Patrick and Environmental Secretary Ian Bowles refused to prevent MWRA from producing the largest net loss of wetlands generated by any project in Massachusetts in over twenty years.
1.   MWRA webpage (off-site link) describing Blue Hills Covered Storage Project
(posted 10/30/03)
2.   Rollover map showing wetland losses on Reservation's southeast border since 1950
(posted 10/30/03)
3.   FBH 4/03 comment letter (240K PDFfile) on MWRA's Request for Variance from MA Wetlands Protection Act
(posted 10/30/03)
4.   FBH 5/03 comment letter (400K PDF file w/aerials) on MWRA's Request for Section 404 permit from Army Corps of Engineers
(posted 11/12/03)
5.   More photos of Reservoir arranged as slide show.
(posted 11/13/03)
6.   All lawyered up: MWRA attempts to deprive FBH and forty-four Citizens of MA of their right to a hearing on net loss of 8.7 acres protected wetlands at Reservoir.
(posted 1/29/04)
7.   'Brush removal' along pipeline alignment.
(posted 1/29/04)
8.   Update October 2004.
(posted 10/21/04)
9.   Email to members with links.
(posted 1/18/05)
10.   Documents affirming commonwealth's No net loss of wetlands policy.
(posted 2/2/05)
11.   PowerPoint show from MA Wetland Restoration Program reviewing two possible mitigation sites.
(posted 3/6/05)
12.   Closing argument (93K PDF) from FBH appeal of 11/03 Wetlands Act variance awarded to MWRA by MA Dept. of Environmetal Protection.
(posted 3/6/05)
13.   Four letters published in Milton Times March 3, 2005.
(posted 3/6/05)
14.   Update sent to members April 23, 2005
(posted 5/4/05)
15.   New items: Rep. Galvin letter and MWRA Advisory Brd minutes
(posted 7/25/05)
16.   Decision on FBH appeal: judge finds that variance awarded to MWRA for Blue Hills Reservoir violates MA Wetlands Protection Act
(posted 9/16/05)
17.   DEP Commissioner reverses judge's decision and disavows no-net-loss policy
(posted 9/21/05)
18.   Sept. 22nd story from Quincy Patriot-Ledger
(posted 9/25/05)
19.   Slide show of draining underway on Sat. Sept. 24th
(posted 9/25/05)
   
20.   FBH Motion for Reconsideration filed September 29, 2005
(posted 9/30/05)
21.   Email to members with Coughlin letter and annotated MWRA press release
(posted 10/14/05)
22.   FBH two-page flyer distributed to DCR and legislators Oct. 21, 2005
(posted 10/22/05)
   
23.   Quincy mayor William Phelan asks MWRA to replace lost wetlands. From Quincy Sun, November 3, 2005
(posted 12/11/05)
24.   Sixteen environmental organizations write to DEP Commissioner Golledge asking that no-net-loss of wetlands policy by applied at Blue Hills Reservoir (800K Word document)
(posted 12/11/05)
25.   From Quincy Patriot-Ledger, November 8, 2005: MWRA rejects request by Mayor Phelan that Reservoir's wetlands be replaced
(posted 12/11/05)
   
26.   DEP Commissioner Golledge denies FBH Motion for Reconsideration
(posted 12/11/05)
27.   From Boston Globe November 10, 2005: "Battle on rise as Reservoir drains"
(posted 12/11/05)
28.   Friends of the Blue Hills to be represented pro bono in Reservoir appeal by DLA Piper Rudnick (press release November 21, 2005)
(posted 12/11/05)
29.   From Quincy Patriot-Ledger, November 26, 2005: "Worldwide law firm to battle Reservoir project."
(posted 12/11/05)
   
30.   December 8, 2005: FBH requests restraining order at Norfolk Superior Court to stop illegal draining (78K Word document)
(posted 12/11/05)
   
31.  

Judge Charles Hely of Norfolk Superior Court denies FBH request to halt draining
(256K PDF posted 1/24/06)
32.  

Photos of ongoing work arranged chronologically (mostly off-site links):
Sept. 24, 2005, Nov. 8, Dec. 13, Dec. 18, Jan. 7, 2006, Jan. 13, Jan. 19, Jan. 24, Jan. 28, Feb. 2, Feb. 9, Feb. 11, June 5, July 27, Sept. 22, April 8, 2007, June 10, Dec. 9.
(last modified 12/11/07)

33.  

12/20/05 email to members including legislation filed by Rep. Bruce Ayers.
(posted 1/24/06)

   
34.  

1/10/06 email to members announcing FBH lawsuit will go forward.
(posted 1/24/06)

35.  

2/4/06 email to members, "Illegal draining, Blue Hills Reservoir."
(posted 2/16/06)

   
36.  

2/10/06 email to members "No reprieve for fish at Blue Hills Reservoir."
(posted 2/16/06)

37.  

2/12/06 email to members "Frozen fish at Blue Hills Reservoir."
(posted 2/16/06)

38.  

2/15/06 email to members asking for support on Reservoir legislation.
(posted 2/16/06)

39.   From Quincy Patriot-Ledger, February 16, 2006: "BLUE HILLS RESERVOIR: Bill would require MWRA to replace lost wetlands."
(posted 2/18/06)
40.   Principal brief (1.5MB PDF) filed by FBH attorneys at Norfolk Superior, Dedham, May 12, 2006
(posted 5/26/06)
41.   FBH testimony and fact sheet from May 22, 2006 hearing before Joint Committee on Natural Resources on House Bill 4914, An Act Relative to the Protection of Certain Wetlands in the Blue Hills Reservation, a petition submitted by Bruce Ayers, Robert Coughlin, William Galvin, and Walter Timilty
(last modified 6/23/06)
42.
  

7/14/06 email to members "Blue Hills Reservoir bill dies in committee"
(posted 11/07/06)

   
43.
  

10/10/06 email to members "Blue Hills Reservoir update"
(posted 11/07/06)

44.
  

11/01/06 email to members "Misinformation from MWRA"
(posted 11/07/06)

45.
  

01/03/07 email to members "MWRA to Quincy: Resistance is futile"
(posted 01/08/07)

   
46.
  

03/19/07 FBH letter to MA Environmental Secretary Ian Bowles
(posted 03/22/07)

47.
  

05/21/07 FBH letter to Governor Deval Patrick
(posted 05/21/07)

   
48.
  

6/11/07 FBH email to members "Blue Hills Reservoir update"
(posted 9/20/07)

49.
  

7/12/07 FBH email to members "Patrick: I won't protect Blue Hills wetlands"
(posted 9/20/07)

50.
  

7/20/07 FBH email to members "Blue Hills Reservoir: for the record"
(posted 9/20/07)

     
FBH

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