Plum Island Resident Starts Petition Demanding Action On Merrimack CSOs

The Town Common reports that a Plum Island resident, Ruth Gamper, has started a Change.org petition that has gathered nearly 2,000 signatures calling on state and federal officials to act on Merrimack River combined sewer overflows (CSOs). Gamper described herself as a dedicated Plum Island resident speaking on behalf of island residents. The petition asks for immediate measures to keep sewage out of the ocean, including infrastructure upgrades, expanded wastewater treatment capacity, stricter regulations and enforcement, greater accountability for cities, and public education about health and environmental hazards.

The petition also urges affected cities to form a consortium to pursue federal funding for sewer repairs, to avoid relying on temporary tanks if federal aid is not available, and to prioritize system renewal beginning with Lowell. It cites a July incident in which a Haverhill maintenance crew broke a 42-inch sewage pipe just ahead of the July 4th weekend, allowing about 8 million gallons of raw sewage downriver, prompting closures of eight beaches. The petition links those events to wider overflow problems and to economic and public-health concerns; Gov. Maura Healy distributed relief checks to shellfish harvesters. The full petition is at https://tinyurl.com/cleantheriver.