The Environmental Protection Agency contends a proposed machine gun range may contaminate the Cape Cod Aquifer.
EPA says this could be a major health hazard as there are no alternative drinking water sources for more than 220,000 year-round Cape Cod residents, according to an April 27 news release.
“Cape Cod's Sole Source Aquifer is a public health resource that must be protected,” EPA Regional Administrator David Cash said in the release. “We have studied the proposed machine gun range very carefully because EPA recognizes the need for our armed forces to maintain readiness and provide training to service members. However, the risk of irreparable damage to the only drinking water source on Cape Cod is too significant.”
The Massachusetts Army National Guard proposed a permanent 138-acre machine gun range at Joint Base Cape Cod, which has been under review by the EPA since August 2021, the release reported. EPA determined if the range contaminates the aquifer, advanced drinking water systems may be needed which would put strain on communities that are already financially struggling.
The EPA, as part of the Safe Drinking Water Act, is given the authority to perform a sole source aquifer review of projects proposed on Cape Cod receiving federal financial assistance since the Cape Cod Aquifer was designated as Cape Cod’s sole or principal source of drinking water in 1982, according to the release.
The Sole Source Aquifer Program is used to protect valuable water supplies and avoid expensive cleanups, the release said. Financial assistance will not be given to projects determined to pose a significant public health hazard.
In addition to the EPA prioritizing the protection of Cape Cod’s drinking water, other partners include the Massachusetts Army National Guard, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and the state Environmental Management Commission, the release reported.
The EPA will hold a public hearing regarding the proposed machine gun range’s impact on the aquifer May 24, and the public can submit comments until June 26, according to the release.
