PLYMOUTH — In a letter sent to Holtec Decommissioning International, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has warned decision makers at the company they could face fines and even jail time […]
Association to Preserve Cape Cod
POND SCUM
Cyanobacteria Blooms Rise With Water Temperatures
Swimmers are advised to learn to spot and report ephemeral blooms
TRURO — Kettle ponds, the glittering pools of fresh water that are one of the Outer Cape’s most prized natural features, are facing a growing threat caused not only by […]
'STATE OF THE WATERS'
Water Commissioners Question Wellfleet’s ‘Poor’ Rating
APCC ranking of town’s water was based on 2020 incident
WELLFLEET — A report issued in late December by the Association to Preserve Cape Cod (APCC) singled out Wellfleet’s municipal water system as the only one among 20 on Cape […]
ENVIRONMENT
The Eastham Herring Count Returns
Volunteers are eager to count fish, ‘even in the pouring rain’
EASTHAM — A scout was spotted by a natural resources dept. officer at the Bridge Pond run on March 12. A herring scout, that is — one of the individual […]
ENVIRONMENT
Outer Cape Gets First Taste of Septic ‘Layer Cake’
Experimental leach field could reduce nitrogen in Nauset estuary
EASTHAM — The town and a volunteer property owner, Peter Dobyns, are participating in a wastewater treatment experiment that could alter the finances of controlling nitrogen contamination. The experimental […]
ENVIRONMENT
Scientists Pick Up Effort to Study Ponds
Seashore looks at role of warming; APCC urges county action
WELLFLEET — With a growing number of cyanobacteria blooms occurring in ponds across Cape Cod, researchers are expanding their efforts in hopes of better understanding toxic algal blooms and how […]
HOUSING RELIEF
There’s Financial Help for Tenants and Landlords Hurt by Covid
But a hot real estate market threatens year-round rentals
PROVINCETOWN — First, the good news: checks of up to $5,000 are available to help vulnerable Cape Cod tenants with up to three months of rent payments. The Housing Assistance […]
ENVIRONMENT
Blue-green Algae Blooms Again, but Only Up Cape So Far
Warming and nutrients bring on toxic bacteria in kettle ponds
With summer well underway, higher temperatures coupled with nutrient overload in kettle ponds and lakes brings the dangerous return of cyanobacteria blooms, also known as blue-green algae. As of Tuesday, […]
ENVIRONMENT
Science Research Is Cut to the Essentials
Outer Cape naturalists’ fieldwork is postponed, leaving holes in data sets
With the ongoing pandemic, scientific research has been interrupted across Cape Cod. Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary has placed five staff members on partial furlough due to funding freezes, […]