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Public comments at EJ Council: tree equity, community solar and a plea from Taunton residents
Summary
Speakers at the meeting urged the council to prioritize urban tree canopy and tree-equity grants, expand access to community solar for renters, and visit Taunton to investigate ongoing pollution problems at a concrete batch plant.
During the hybrid meeting in Lynn, public commenters and municipal staff emphasized local environmental-justice needs.
Erica Holm, an urban forestry fellow with the City of Lynn, thanked the council and said "part of environmental justice is ensuring that there is tree equity and urban tree canopy in the city of Lynn," describing grants the city has secured for canopy and stormwater work. Mary Sui, attending her first council meeting, urged expanded access to community solar for renters and said credits should remain portable when renters move. "A community solar farm is a terrific option," she said, adding that utility enrollment data would be useful; she reported National Grid declined to provide that information as confidential.
A Taunton resident representing an impacted neighborhood asked the council to visit and publicize ongoing problems with a local concrete batch plant and described frustration in getting city-level remedies. The resident requested that council members come to Taunton to bring attention to the issue and help connect residents with state resources.
Council members and staff encouraged commenters to leave contact information and said staff would follow up. The meeting record shows invitations for state staff to meet with North Shore MassHire and local VOTEC programs about clean-energy workforce training in the region.
