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Harbor advisory board presses for enforcement of Chapter 91 fueling requirements at Great Harbor
Summary
At its March 17 meeting the Harbor and Shellfish Advisory Board said licensees should supply fueling as described in their Chapter 91 licenses and voted to gather documented infractions and ask staff to request a Natural Resources investigation and Select Board involvement.
The Harbor and Shellfish Advisory Board of Nantucket debated whether commercial operators at Great Harbor are meeting Chapter 91 licensing obligations and agreed to pursue documented enforcement action.
The board, meeting March 17, focused on the availability and safe transfer of diesel fuel from shore to vessels. "I still believe that they have the responsibility to provide fuel," said Dave, a long‑serving board member who led the discussion about recent problems and the need for local recourse. Members described repeated difficulty getting fuel at Great Harbor and questioned whether license language limits fueling to emergencies or requires an on‑site fueling station.
Mr. Brace noted the license language directly: "It says right in the first paragraph ... a fueling station," and argued that the license includes fueling among routine on‑site services. Other members said the license text is sometimes framed alongside emergency services, which attorneys could construe narrowly, but the board’s working view is that a fueling station is a permitted/required facility rather than an emergency‑only service.
Board members agreed on practical next steps. They will assemble a small set of documented infractions (board members suggested "two or three" solid complaints), compile recent examples of emergency haulouts and related details, and present a narrative to staff so the advisory board’s concerns can be raised publicly with the town administrator’s office (Mr. Carlson was named as the staff contact) and formally requested for Natural Resources enforcement review.
A board member urged caution about community relations: Great Harbor Yacht Club and other harbor donors have supported harbor work financially, and members said they do not want to alienate contributors while still pressing for compliance. The meeting record noted a past donation total of about $630,000 spread among local groups, which board members said complicates the politics but does not remove the licensing obligation.
The board placed the item back on the agenda for its next meeting and asked staff to gather documentation and invite Mr. Carlson or Jeff to discuss options publicly. The board’s next meeting is April 7, 2026.
What happens next: staff will be asked to compile written complaints and examples for the board to forward to the Natural Resources office and the Select Board for possible enforcement action. No formal enforcement action was taken at the meeting; the matter remains under review by local staff and the advisory board.
