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Commission approves biochar swale to filter stormwater at 19 Owen Park Way
Summary
The Tisbury Conservation Commission approved a proposal to replace failing stormwater pipes with an approximately 30-foot biochar filtration bed to treat runoff before it reaches the harbor; commissioners asked applicants to avoid PFAS-containing fabrics and to monitor system performance.
A proposed biochar filtration swale to treat stormwater discharged directly onto the beach at 19 Owen Park Way won unanimous approval from the Tisbury Conservation Commission on June 2.
Maggie Craig, a Biochar Vision Fellow with the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, and Melinda Loberg of Tisbury Waterworks, Inc., presented a plan to remove two dysfunctional stormwater pipes that currently discharge untreated runoff onto the beach and install an approximately 30-foot layered filtration bed. Craig said the system would be constructed with road fabric, gravel, pure biochar, a biochar–soil–sand mixture and a beach-grass planting at the surface; perforated pipes within the bed would distribute flow slowly and include an outlet for high-flow events. "Biochar is pyrolyzed wood material" that retains water and nutrients and adsorbs pollutants, Craig said.
Commission members raised concerns about the potential presence of microplastics and PFAS in standard synthetic road fabric; the applicants said they are evaluating burlap as an alternative material and discussed the potential use of a perforated metal screen. Commissioners also asked about longevity; Craig said the swale is designed to function holistically with plants and soil microbiomes and that replacement is not expected, although follow-up sampling will evaluate long-term performance.
John Best moved to issue a negative determination on the filing, Lilian Robinson seconded, and the vote carried unanimously.
The commission asked staff and applicants to document the materials chosen for the filtration bed and to provide a monitoring plan that includes periodic sampling to confirm pollutant reductions. No public comment was recorded at the hearing.
