Falmouth Gun Range And Offshore Wind Installation

# Falmouth Sole Source Aquifer -Safe Drinking Water

The Cape Cod Aquifer provides one hundred percent of the Cape’s drinking water. The Environmental Protection Agency has designated the drinking water as a Sole Source Aquifer.

Two large projects have been proposed on the Cape Cod Sole Source Aquifer. The first is the multipurpose machine gun range at Joint Base Cape Cod and the second is a multi-acre on-shore wind high voltage direct current converter station and possible battery backup in the Town of Falmouth.

The argument against the gun range is a large amount of ammunition and its composition combined with existing aquifer damage "could" produce harm to local inhabitants.

There is no argument or study for an up to 2400 megawatt Falmouth onshore high voltage direct current converter plant and battery backup. These power plants are used when transferring power between countries and are now employed by offshore wind to transfer electric power into Massachusetts through the Town of Falmouth. This project was proposed on the Cape Cod aquifer on June 8, 2022.

Fires happen at high voltage direct current power plants such as Kent, England in September 2021. (see note). A large fire at the proposed Falmouth high voltage direct current power converter "could" damage the existing aquifer. This project could be avoided by using submarine cables to the large city industrial sites where power will be used.

The EPA may not review the sole source aquifer in Falmouth because the onshore wind HVDC Converter is privately funded.

The Falmouth Board of Health has significant authority to protect public health including the town's drinking water. Local citizens could work with the Falmouth Board of Health to follow the federal Safe Water Drinking Act. A determination could be made to see if the HVDC Converter: “causes or may cause the aquifer to exceed any maximum contaminant level provided in any national primary drinking water standard at any point where the water may be used for drinking water purposes . . . [or] may otherwise adversely affect the health of persons.”

At a Cape Cod wind turbine installation meeting former acting Falmouth town manager on September 10, 2010, said the Town of Falmouth could afford the financial risk of placing two town-owned wind turbines. The turbines were removed in 2022. (see note)

What happens if you risk or gamble the drinking water? If your water is contaminated ( unsafe levels of germs or chemicals), you can not drink it. No amount of money can fix it.

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Notes:
Cape Cod EPA April 2023 -
"Cape Cod's Sole Source Aquifer is a public health resource that must be protected,"
https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-proposes-draft-determination-protect-cape-cods-sole-source-drinking-water-seeks

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Falmouth June 8, 2022
Offshore Wind High Voltage Direct Current Converter Station

https://www.falmouthma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_06082022-13516

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Fire at High Voltage Direct Current Converter September 2021
Kent, England

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/ashford/news/large-fire-at-national-grid-site-253959/

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Falmouth: September 11, 2010, Wind Turbine Financial Risk :
“We took on a huge risk and I think we were successful but we’re a large community and I think we can take on that risk,”

https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2010/09/11/brewster-officials-take-a-wind-turbine-tour/