Steven McCurdy
Director, Division of Municipal Services
MA Dept. of Environmental Protection
One Winter St.
Boston, MA 02108


January 20, 2005

Dear Mr. McCurdy:

Please remove the MWRA's Blue Hills Covered Storage Project from your Draft Intended Use Plan (IUP) for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) loan program.

The project will result in a net loss of 8.7 acres of protected wetlands in the Blue Hills Reservation. This conflicts with the program's stated goal of integrating the commonwealth’s Sustainable Development principles into financing decisions.

Please do not restore the project to eligibility until the applicant agrees to create or protect wetlands substantially equivalent to those it proposes to eliminate.

Sincerely