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Resident reports foam and alleged excavator activity at Fox Brook; commission says it will investigate
Summary
A resident told the commission about a beaver dam, white foamy substance in Fox Brook and alleged clearing with a front‑end loader on the opposite bank within the buffer; the commission said it would look into the matter.
During the public‑comment portion of the Town of Blackstone Conservation Commission meeting on Wednesday, resident Jim Piddler raised water‑quality and buffer‑zone concerns for Fox Brook and asked the commission to investigate.
Piddler, who identified his address as 2 Michelle Lane (off Blackstone Street), said a beaver dam had formed and a white foamy substance had accumulated on the dam. "There's been a beaver dam there, back there, which is blocking some of the water...this white foamy stuff, Maybe soap. I don't know what it is," Piddler said, adding that it "could be a bad chemical" or detergent.
Piddler also said someone on the far side of the brook had been operating a front‑end loader and clearing trees within what he believed to be the wetland buffer. He asked whether the commission or town staff would inspect the site. Commission members said they would look into the complaint and suggested the foam might be connected to routine pond treatment in a nearby development but that the excavation on the opposite bank appeared to be a separate concern.
Commissioners asked whether Piddler had photos; he said he did not. Piddler granted permission for commission members to access his property and the wooded area to inspect the brook. Commission members directed staff to follow up and investigate both the potential pesticide/pond treatment runoff and the alleged bank disturbance.
No formal enforcement action was taken at the meeting; the commission indicated staff would examine the site and report back.
