Protect Sudbury incorporated in March of this year, and since then, the community, along with sponsors and supporters, has done so much.
- We have Delayed the Eversource filing with the EFSB for 9 months (and cost them money!).
- The constant barrage of criticism has prompted them to take out more advertising on local TV (and made them spend more money!).
- Eversource had to rework their project proposal to include an under street route.
- Nearly 1000 residents schooled Eversource at the BOS meeting at LSRHS in October.
- We’ve garnered support from a dozen conservation and community groups as well as local, state and federal elected officials.
- Hosted nearly 40 neighborhood meetings, over 1,000 people attended these meetings.
- Attended in person (and will continue to) Board of Selectmen meetings and Board of Selectmen public office hours.
- Attended Eversource management meetings.
- Held many, many calls and several visits with local officials including meeting State Senators at their offices, at their public office hours, in local cafes, and in private homes with their constituents.
- Supported legislation to improve the transmission siting process and visited State House Offices where we chased down Congressmen and women, and met with them in their offices.
- We have met with the Attorney General’s office at their office and at public functions they have held, and at one recent dinner party.
- We have bent Governor Baker’s ear, in person outside his office and at his public functions, and in person through connections. We have sent him via mail and email all documents and pertinent info, and most recently hand delivered our letter from the Board of PS to his Chief of Staff.
- We represented the community at the ISO New England consumer liaison group.
- Had dozens of media hits in each of these news outlets online and in print: The Sudbury Town Crier, Patch, Sudbury TV, Metrowest Daily News and the Boston Globe.
- Submitted an application to the Town of Sudbury Community Preservation Committee to protect threatened open space, drinking water, historical and recreational resources. Protect Sudbury presented at the Sudbury CPC public hearing on December 21st.
- We won official formal written support from these groups:the Sudbury Valley Trustees, Sierra Club, Mass Audubon, Environmental League of Massachusetts, OARS for the Sudbury, Assabet and Concord Rivers, Friends of the Assabet National Wildlife Refuge, US Fish and Wildlife, the Sudbury Conservation Commission, the Sudbury Water District, Trout Unlimited, and Clean Water Action.
- We catalogued rare species along the route, and researched topics including herbicides and their effects on both humans and wildlife.
- We also participated in the creation of a new independent web site called stopeversource.com this web site will serve Protect Sudbury, and other communities in a number of ways:
- To highlight the real problem to reporters we speak with, that poorly sited and unnecessary transmission line projects are a big problem for more than just our one small town This is a broader problem happening to communities across the Commonwealth and indeed, New England.
- To illustrate to our local, state, and elected officials that ONE corporation has many communities fighting them. We are working with our legislators to change utility laws so that poorly sited and unnecessary energy projects are a thing of the past for ALL communities.
- To gain further support from national environmental groups as we illustrate the region wide destruction of resources. 65 acres clear cut here, herbicides threatening drinking water there. A contaminated estuary here, a forest decimated and a polluted pond there. One company is making long lasting and permanent change to the New England landscape. Little by little taking away that which makes New England so beautiful.
Current energy policies that result in projects such as the ones harming our communities need to stop. We hope you will join us in the new year for activities region-wide, More details to come.