Alternatives Screening Analysis Report

Building upon the work performed as part of the Technology Screening Report work and the Alternative Scenarios Analysis & Site Evaluation and the MEP Model Run Descriptions for Options 1A, 1B and 1C, this report summarizes those efforts and outlines the next steps in developing a Recommended Plan for the Project Planning Area.

Alternatives Screening Analysis Report

The report outlines the framework of the Recommended plan and the three primary mechanisms being considered:

  1. Source Control
  2. Direct Environmental Mitigation
  3. Land Management Strategies

Source control is defined as approaches that primarily address wastewater, stormwater and lawn fertilizers. Things like:

  1. traditional wastewater treatment
  2. improved stormwater treatment
  3. reduction of fertilizers, use of alternative methods

Direct Environmental Mitigation is defined as less traditional approaches to address nitrogen near or at the location being impacted, for example within the bays or at the shorelines or in close proximity to the impacted embayment.  Things like:

  1. Growing and harvesting shellfish
  2. Dredging or widening of bay inlets
  3. Use of permeable reactive barriers -an approach where groundwater is intercepted and passed through a media that removes or converts nitrogen before it reaches the saltwater systems.
  4. Wetland restoration and cranberry bog restoration projects

Land management strategies are defined as methods the Towns can use to manage growth, development, and secure land and facilities in order for them to reduce the amount of "source and direct mitigation" as each Town considers existing and future impacts on their coastal embayments and fresh water ponds. Things like:

  1. Growth Neutral/Flow Neutral policies to minimize future impacts from nutrients
  2. Open space purchases and land protections
  3. Purchase or protection of land for town use in source control and direct environmental mitigation
  4. Phasing of implementation of any plan and consideration of seasonal and year round land uses

As the project develops the Recommended Plan, additional evaluations will be performed to select components of the plan and scheduling will be prepared to show how the plan might be implemented and which areas would be prioritized.