Produce center warns flooding could disrupt food supply, urges protection

John Lucero, general manager of the New England Produce Center, told officials and community members in Chelsea that flooding has already forced closures and damaged vehicles at the market and warned that a longer interruption would imperil the regional food supply.

"We feed 9 million people every day, three meals. That's 27 million meals every single day," Lucero said, describing the center as a 24‑hour operation that supplies grocery chains, restaurants and smaller retailers across New England and into the Canadian Maritimes. He said winter storms have previously flooded parking lots and forced businesses inside the market to close.

Lucero and other speakers said the Island End River resilience project being promoted at the launch would protect the produce center and other critical infrastructure. "An interruption in service would be absolutely devastating to the region," Lucero said, adding that even short shutdowns could empty store shelves and create panic.

Rosanne Bonjivani of Green Roots and local officials stressed that frontline environmental justice communities already experience sunny‑day flooding and that protecting distribution infrastructure is part of protecting jobs and food access. Senator D. Dominico reiterated that equity should guide funding priorities for communities like Chelsea and Everett.

Event speakers described the project and funding proposals; there was no vote or funding approval at the event. The discussion highlighted both local public‑safety concerns and wider, regional reliance on facilities vulnerable to coastal flooding.