Uxbridge should approve bylaw for filling gravel pits

To the Editor,

On Oct. 25, Uxbridge voters will have an opportunity to vote for a bylaw which allows our town government to monitor the filling of excavated sites such as gravel pits. Such activity has the potential to permanently pollute public and private wells. Two sites currently are receiving multiple truckloads of soil daily from metropolitan areas. One site lies over an aquifer and the other is adjacent to a town well recharge area. The soil being deposited at these sites does not meet the legal definition of hazardous or contaminated soil, but because it is from urban sites with a history of contamination, it poses a significant threat to underground water unless it is tested and monitored.

The state intervened after these projects were well underway, one of them for two years, but only after public pressure and publicity, and then only with the voluntary consent of the projects’ operators.

The bylaw outlines a permitting process which gives guidance to business who want to reclaim excavated areas in a responsible way. There are multiple unrestored pits in Uxbridge which could be used for farmland, recreation, or wildlife habitat. The bylaw protects the water we depend upon for health and hygiene.

We have worked with the selectmen and town manager to craft this bylaw. It is a good example of citizens and government creating a reasonable and effective law to address common needs.

For further information visit Uxbridge Citizens for Clean Water on Facebook. Vote yes on article X on Oct. 25.

David Tapscott Uxbridge Citizens for Clean Water Uxbridge