The Rochester Conservation Commission gave the Massachusetts Department of Transportation the green light to spray herbicides along the small portion of Interstate 495 that runs through Rochester. The approval was given at their meeting on the evening of Tuesday, May 1 at the Rochester Town Hall.
The herbicides will also be sprayed in other towns along I-495, including Middleboro, Raynham, Taunton, Norton and Mansfield. They will be sprayed on the grass below the guardrails, and they will not be sprayed during rainstorms or high winds.
The portion of land being sprayed in Rochester measures about 600 feet in length. Various reflectors of different colors will be places on the guardrails to indicate where wetlands and well lands are so they can avoid being sprayed. The ConCom’s approval gives Mass DOT two years to do the spraying; however, they must inform the town at least ten days prior to the spraying.
In other news, representatives from Covanta SEMASS proposed preliminary outlines for a project that would implement a new natural gas pipeline on the company’s property. The pipe would provide a supplemental energy source to operate the plant.
If approved, the project could begin construction as early as the summer. SEMASS will meet with the ConCom again in June with more specific details of the project.
The ConCom granted Martin Harris of 86 Hartley Rd. permission to install an underground electric service on his property, which is close to the wetlands. The service will require digging a three-foot trench and will run parallel to his driveway. He expects the project to be completed in one day.
And lastly, the ConCom granted Stephen and Isabel Schilling of Walnut Plain Road permission to pave a driveway of 1,200 square feet on their property, which also runs through the wetlands. The Schillings will have to be supervised by a wetland professional while constructing the driveway.
The Rochester Conservation Commission will meet again on Tuesday, May 15 at 7:00 pm in Rochester Town Hall.
By Katy Fitzpatrick