PLYMOUTH — Nearly all of the more than 700 written comments sent so far to the state’s Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) urge the agency to finalize its denial of […]
Environment
RARA AVIS
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Aug. 29 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
ENVIRONMENT
A Threat of Fines Prompts Oil Spill Cleanup to Resume
Years of testing follow a spill near a Wellfleet wetland
WELLFLEET — State officials want to see the cleanup of a nearly two-year-old oil spill at a downtown business and recently threatened the owner with fines “in excess of several […]
RADIOACTIVITY
Holtec Releases Some Pilgrim Wastewater as Gas
Officials say amount is small, but watchdogs worry more is planned
PLYMOUTH — Officials and citizens groups that have spent two years fighting to block Holtec Decommissioning International from dumping 1.1 million gallons of radioactive wastewater from the Pilgrim nuclear plant […]
RARA AVIS
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Aug. 22 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
CLIMATE CRISIS
Lobstermen Face Hypoxia in Outer Cape Waters
Low oxygen levels linked to warmer water spell trouble for local lobsters
PROVINCETOWN — Alex Iacono, a lobsterman who says he favors lobsters and ocean solitude over people, is worried about the future of his business. Iacono, who lives in Truro and […]
STATUS QUO
4 Years On, Uncertainty Lingers at Bike Path’s End
Options for Wellfleet leg of Cape Cod Rail Trail get no hearing
WELLFLEET — When the Mass. Dept. of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) proposed in 2018 to extend the Cape Cod Rail Trail bike path, it was one part of an expansive […]
ENVIRONMENT
Salt Hay Rebounds at Duck Harbor
WELLFLEET — As you drive down Griffins Island Road toward Duck Harbor, your eyes are drawn to what looks at first like a treeless wasteland. On closer inspection, you notice […]
RARA AVIS
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Aug. 15 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
TURTLE WATCH
Warmer Waters Put Sea Turtles on Collision Course With Humans
More turtles on Cape Cod’s shores means a higher risk of boat strikes
WELLFLEET — Rising North Atlantic Ocean temperatures are causing increased numbers of threatened and endangered sea turtles to migrate through Massachusetts waters — heading north in search of food, then […]
BEE KILLERS
Uptick in Spraying Is Harming Local Pollinators
Insecticide rules are lax, and mosquito treatments don’t work anyway, scientists say
WELLFLEET — For years, ecologist and beekeeper John Portnoy has sold up to three varieties of honey at the Wellfleet Farmers Market — each made from the nectar of seasonal […]
TURTLE WATCH
Warmer Waters Put Sea Turtles on Collision Course With Humans
More turtles on Cape Cod’s shores means a higher risk of boat strikes
WELLFLEET — Rising North Atlantic Ocean temperatures are causing increased numbers of threatened and endangered sea turtles to migrate through Massachusetts waters — heading north in search of food, then […]
COASTAL RESILIENCY
Conservation Commission Mulls Tough Case in West End
Proposal to expand a waterfront deck seaward is ‘highly unusual’
This article was updated on Aug. 10. PROVINCETOWN — Mass. Wetlands Protection Act regulations state that “any project on a coastal beach … shall not have an adverse effect by […]
RARA AVIS
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Aug. 8 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
ENTANGLEMENT
Monofilament’s Grip Threatens Humpback Calf
CCS and IFAW are ‘regrouping’ after sedation efforts fail
PROVINCETOWN — Cape Codders have become acutely aware that whales in the Gulf of Maine face perilous struggles with ocean debris, especially discarded rope that obstructs their paths and entangles […]
