Meetings Ahead
Most meetings in Wellfleet are remote only, but some are held in person. Go to www.wellfleet-ma.gov/calendar and click on the meeting you want to watch, then follow the instructions on the agenda.
Thursday, April 18
- Council on Aging Advisory Board, 9:30 a.m., Adult Community Center
- Local Housing Partnership, 4 p.m.
- Energy and Climate Action Committee, 7:15 p.m.
- Select Board, 5 p.m.
Tuesday, April 23
- Cable Internet and Cellular Service Advisory Committee, noon
Wednesday, April 24
- Maurice’s Planning Committee, 4 p.m.
- Wellfleet Community Forum Candidates Night, 7 p.m., Adult Community Center and online
- Finance Committee, 7 p.m.
Thursday, April 25
- Natural Resources Advisory Board, 2 p.m.
- Zoning Board of Appeals, 6:30 p.m., Adult Community Center and online
Conversation Starter
Spilt Oil
Health Agent Heith Martinez updated the board of health at its April 10 meeting on the oil spills at Mid-Cape Home Centers. An immediate response action plan, which the town received from the Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) on March 26, he said, confirmed that the spills, which happened on Jan. 25 and March 10 have had minimal impact.
The first spill, which leaked 250 gallons of heating oil from a hole in an above-ground tank, “hasn’t left the footprint of the building,” Martinez told the board. Groundwater tests in the three months since the initial spill “are all looking good as well,” Martinez said.
Oil that was pumped from catch basins into a second tank and then overflowed on March 10 appeared “darker in color,” which meant that most of the oil removed predated the most recent spills, Martinez said.
The Mid-Cape’s location on Commercial Street meant the spills were near Duck Creek. But Martinez told the Independent that groundwater does not flow into the creek but alongside it, minimizing the risk of contamination.
According to the Independent’s previous reporting, the ruptured tank that caused the first spill in January had been inspected by Deputy Fire Chief Joseph Capello in March 2023, almost a year before the leak occurred. At that time, Capello had recommended that the owners replace the aging tank.
A notice of responsibility sent to Mid-Cape from DEP gives it a deadline of May 2024 to remove all remaining waste from the spills. —Sam Pollak
