Ch. 91 Waterways Appeal - Final Decision

On Friday, June 6, we after received an update on our Ch. 91 Waterways License appeal. MA DEP Commissioner Bonnie Heiple issued her final decision, adopting the Recommended Final Decision of Chief Presiding Officer Giorlandino and directing MassDEP to (re)issue the Chapter 91 Waterways License to Algonquin. This decision came more than six months after Presiding Officer Giorlandino’s RFD was released, and nearly 18 months after closing arguments were heard in January 2024.

Though this news isn't surprising, it's still disappointing. Disappointing that an agency tasked with the responsibility of protecting the environment, continues to ignore their mission, and instead, rule in favor of polluters time and time again. We believe we have strong case and a responsibility to keep moving the fight forward, so we will proceed with another appeal of this decision. As always, we will keep you updated on the status of our appeal.

We’d also like to thank our attorney for his tireless efforts on this case and many others over the course of our campaign.

You can read Commissioner Heiple's Final Decision on Remand here. In the meantime, take care, and know that FRRACS is not wavering in this fight.