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Falmouth staff flag differences between local comprehensive permit and MassDEP draft wastewater permit for Sandwich Road project
Summary
Town Manager Mike Renshaw said town counsel and staff are reviewing a draft MassDEP wastewater permit for a 300‑unit project on Sandwich Road; the comprehensive permit calls for one numeric nitrogen target while MassDEP’s draft applies a different (described as stricter) numeric requirement.
Town Manager Mike Renshaw told the Select Board the draft Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection wastewater permit for the proposed 300‑unit project on Sandwich Road contains numeric nitrogen requirements that appear different from language in the development’s comprehensive permit.
Renshaw said the comprehensive permit tied to the zoning process required aggressive nitrogen reductions (discussed in the meeting as an approach to reduce nitrogen loads toward lower milligram‑per‑liter targets), while MassDEP’s draft applied what staff described as a higher numeric standard. "On the surface appears to be two conflicting pieces of information requirements," Renshaw said, and he noted town counsel and staff explained how the comprehensive permit and DEP requirements interact and are enforceable.
Moscally and Renshaw noted the DEP document is a draft and that the town will review the full draft permit when it is released; they did not describe formal legal action or a vote but said the town will take a closer look and decide whether to pursue further discussion with the state.
The Select Board update did not include specific numeric citations or final town positions; staff advised interested residents to watch the March 9 meeting recording for fuller context and to await the final DEP permit language for any determinations.
