Holtec’s Vapors
To the editor:
Re “Nearly 200,000 Gallons of Nuclear Waste Vaporized” [Nov. 30, front page]:
At the Pilgrim nuclear power station decommissioning site in Plymouth, owner Holtec appears to be using heaters to force evaporation of contaminated wastewater. But the company states it is doing so for various other reasons, including raising the ambient temperature for “worker comfort.”
Do Holtec officials really expect us to believe that this forced evaporation is not their alternative means of discharging the untreated radioactive and chemically contaminated industrial wastewater through unfiltered vents with no real-time monitors? We didn’t believe them when Holtec CEO Kris Singh stated at Sen. Ed Markey’s special field hearing that the treated wastewater would be safe to drink, and we don’t believe them now.
Where did 200,000 gallons of wastewater go since April? That’s a lot of water to evaporate from inside a building in such a short time. At that rate, the water would be gone in a few years.
Could there be a leak? In 2021, there was a “mistaken” release of 7,200 gallons of stormwater that violated the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit, but neither the EPA nor MassDEP enforced the law.
It looks like Holtec is now unconditionally evaporating contaminated effluent into our air, which makes human and environmental uptake much more of a noxious health concern.
Diane Turco
Harwich
The writer is director of Cape Downwinders.
Burritt Gets the Credit
To the editor:
The article “Streaming for Seniors” on page A15 of the Dec. 7 issue, about new funding for hybrid programming, left out one important piece of information. Dorothy Burritt, director of the Eastham Council on Aging, was responsible for securing the $100,000 grant received through the American Rescue Plan Act.
Dorothy and her staff work tirelessly to provide support for Eastham seniors. She deserves credit.
Barbara Woodward
Eastham
Leadership in Wellfleet
To the editor:
At the opening of the Dec. 5 Wellfleet Select Board meeting, Director of Community Services Suzanne Grout Thomas bravely read a letter requesting more respectful treatment of town employees. Her selection as her coworkers’ spokesperson reflects their confidence in her leadership.
The select board chair, Barbara Carboni, has yet to offer an example of similar leadership.
The board has repeatedly produced questionable decisions, including releasing heavily redacted executive session minutes that raise more questions than answers [“Executive Session Minutes Leave Public in the Dark,” Nov. 9, page A10]. The board’s meetings regularly devolve into chaos and, at times, have required intervention from law enforcement officials.
As the new year approaches, perhaps Wellfleet’s elected officials could aspire to the example set by the town staff, prioritizing leadership and courage over secrecy, intimidation, and indecision.
Brad Reichard
Wellfleet
A Saw-Whet Invader
To the editor:
I found William von Herff’s story of the saw-whet owl [Dec. 7, page B3] a timely piece. I have always enjoyed the wildlife treasures the Lower and Outer Cape offer.
A few weeks ago, my attention was drawn to my back yard as a flock (or murder) of crows invaded the afternoon calm. It seems a visitor had invaded their space. I enclose a photograph of a saw-whet owl using one of my birdhouses. The owl hung out for a few days, then moved on.
Jack Austin
Eastham
