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VMP YOP nationalgrid November 21, 2012 CERTIFIED MAIL—Return Receipt Requested David Narkewicz Mayor City Hall, 210 Main Street Northampton, MA 01060 Dear David Narkewicz: Dawn'fravalini Lead Vegetation Strategy Speci3liest Veget4tiertS 40 Sylvan Road,Wat040,41A b24 �\ v181-907-a4 1/2, }s';A M } 9 Vet ;` In compliance with 333 CMR 11.07, 21 day herbicide application notification, this letter is to inform you that National Grid(New England Power Company and/or Massachusetts Electric Company) intends to selectively apply herbicides along power line rights-of-way that pass through your municipality. As detailed in National Grid's Five Year Vegetation Management Plan (VMP) and Yearly Operational Plan(YOP), this treatment is conducted as a component of an integrated vegetation management(IVM) program that also utilizes mechanical and natural control techniques. National Grid's current Five Year Vegetation Management Plan (2009-2013)is posted at the following website(hard copy available upon request): http://www.nationalgridus.com/non html/National Grid VMP 2009-2013.odf The current YOP is posted at the following website (hard copy available upon request): http://www.nationaloridus.com/non html/FINAL%202013%20YOP.pdf As described in the VMP and YOP, the program will consist of a late winter-spring mechanical control, cut surface(CST)or basal treatment; a summer selective foliage, and, as necessary, summer and fall CST and basal treatments. Treatment Periods` January 7,2013—June 3,2013 June 3,2013 -October 11,2013 October 11,2013—December 21,2013 CS'f Foliar CST Basal CST Basal Basal e exact treatment dates are dependent upon weather conditions and field crew progress. In compliance with 333 CMR 11.06-11.07, no herbicide applications will occur before the conclusion of the 45 day YOP review period, the 21 day treatment notice and the 48 hour newspaper notice. At the end of these review periods, which can run concurrently, no application shall commence more than ten days before nor conclude more than ten days after the treatment periods listed above. Commonwealth of Massachusetts recommended herbicides for use in sensitive areas listed in Section 7(pages 13-15)of the YOP will be selectively applied to target vegetation by experienced, Massachusetts' licensed/certified applicators that walk along the rights-of-way using backpack equipment. Copies of the manufacturers herbicide labels and fact sheets are also included in the YOP,Appendices 7 and 8. The work will be performed by one of the following companies: Vegetation Control Service, Inc. 2342 Main Street Athol, MA 01331 (978) 249-5348 Lewis Tree Service, Inc 300 Lucius Gordon Drive West Henrietta, NY 14586 (585)436-3208 Lucas Tree Experts 12 Northbrook Drive Falmouth, ME 04105 (800)339-8873 This informational 21-day notification is in compliance with Chapter 132B, section 6B of the Massachusetts General Laws, 333 CMR 11.05-11.07 Rights of Way Management and Chapter 85, Section 10 of the Acts of 2000. National Grid's vegetation management program is subject to federal and state regulations only. By statute, local permits or rulings are not applicable. For inquiries concerning safety of the herbicides, please contact: Director of Rights-of-Way Programs Massachusetts State Pesticide Bureau Department of Agricultural Resources 251 Causeway Street, Suite 500 Boston, MA 0 211 4-21 51 Telephone: (617)626-1781 Please contact me if you have any questions about the application and monitoring of the vegetation control program. Sincerely, 32'; '? 77.1 Dawn Travalini Lead Vegetation Strategy Specialist CC: Board of Health Conservation Commission Lewis Tree Service or Vegetation Control Service or Lucas Tree Experts Massachusetts Pesticide Bureau Municipality: Northampton ROW#(S): 4004 8208 8210 8220 8230 8240 lationalgrid rvember 21, 2012 ERTIFIED MAIL—Return Receipt Requested Dawn Travalini Lead Vegetation Strategy Specialist Vegetation Strategy 40 Sylvan Road,Waltham,MA 02451 781-907-2448 45 Day Yearly Operational Plan Public Notice, Review and Comment Period ear Municipal Official: compliance with 333 CMR 11.06, 45 Day Yearly Operational Plan Public Notice, Review and omment, please review National Grid's(New England Power Company and/or Massachusetts Electric ompany)2013 Yearly Operational Plan (YOP)at the following website(hard copy available upon :quest): http://www.nationaleridus.cominon htmIIFINAL%202013%20YOP.pdf ,ational Grid's YOP details specific information pertaining to the intended 2013 program. Please note tat the YOP also lists the rights-of-way from the 2012 treatment program in case National Grid needs to =quest a"touch-up" retreatment of scattered locations from our contractor(s). 'lease review the enclosed YOP map(s)that locate the right-of-way corridors and the plotted location of nown sensitive areas including public and private drinking water supplies. If there are any additional ensitive areas located on or near the rights-of-way, please advise us as soon as possible so we may stablish permanent records and implement appropriate field protective actions. We particularly rely on his process to collect corrections to the public wells and to record the location of private wells. copy of the Environmental Monitor Notice, published under the Massachusetts Environmental Policy 1ct(MEPA) is available at: http://www.env.state.ma.us/mepalemonitor.aspx. Enclosures: 21 Day Herbicide Application Notification Environmental Monitor Notice Map(s) Notice Sent to: Chief Elected Municipal Official Board of Health Conservation Commission Private and Public Water Suppliers Lewis Tree Service or Vegetation Control Service or Lucas Tree Experts Massachusetts Water Resources Authority Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Massachusetts Pesticide Bureau Municipality: Northampton ROW#S:4004 8208 8210 8220 8230 8240 Princeton Williamstown In 2013 National Grid will conduct a selective herbicide treatment program on their rights-of-way as pa an Integrated Vegetation Management(IVM)program on transmission and distribution lines. The intended VMP and YOP. Herbicides will be selectively applied to target tvegetat on by licensed/certified applicators Grid carrying backpack or hand held application equipment. National Grid will only use herbicides recommended by DAR for use in sensitive areas for their NM program. Pursuant to 333 CMR 11.04,no herbicides will be sprayed within any designated"no spray sensitive sites." Instead,mechanical only methods will be used to control vegetation in these areas. Public notification will be provided to each"affected"municipality at least twenty-one da ys prior to any herbicide application and in a newspaper notification at least 48 hours before the beginning of the spray season. In accordance with 333 CMR 11.06(2),National Grid's YOP includes the identification of target vegetation;methods of identifying,marking and protecting sensitive areas;application techniques; the herbicides, application rates,carriers and adjuvants proposed for use;alternative control measures,a list of the application companies and YOP supervisor;procedures for handling,mixing and loading herbicides;emergency resources including local,state and federal emergency telephone numbers;maps of the rights-of-way that include mapped sensitive areas,and herbicide fact sheets and labels. PUBLIC REVIEW The DAR seeks to verify the location of sensitive areas defined in Section 11.02 and reported in the YOP. DAR itself has a limited ability to survey the geography,land use and water supplies in all the communities througt which rights-of-way pass. Municipalities have most of this information readily available,and the particular knowledge with which to better certify the sensitive areas in then communities. DAR, therefore,requests,and urges the assistance of the"affected"municipalities in reviewing the completeness and accuracy of the maps contained in the submitted YOP. DAR has established the following procedures for this review: Copies of the YOP and this Notice will be sent by the applicant to the Conservation Commission,Board of Health(or designated health agent),the Head of Government(Mayor,City Manager,Chair of the Board of Selectman)and appropriate water suppliers of each municipality where herbicides are to be applied during the calendar year of 2013;and if applicable,to the Natural Heritage Endangered Species Program of the Massachusetts Department of Fisheries and Wildlife,the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. Municipal agencies and officials will have forty-five of the YOP, to review its map for inaccuracies and omissions in the location of"sensitive areas not readily identifiable in the field." �3`five days,following Municipal agencies and officials are requested to forward the YOP to the appropriate municipality who are qualified to certify the accuracy of the sensitive areas indicated on the maps. The maps should then be"corrected"and returned to the applicant and a copy DAR,at official(s)in their below,within the forty-five day review period. PY should be sent to DAR,at the address listed If a city or to needs more time to carry out this review,it should send a written request for an extension to DAR and cite why there is a"good cause"for requesting additional time. Page 2 of 3 HE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS :ECUTIVE OFFICE OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS Department of Agricultural Resources ADAR 251 Causeway Street,Suite 500,Boston,MA 02114 rurMSULrrrE mrmYVn 617-626-1700 fax: 617-626-1850 www.mass.goviagr Or MNLYLNML RESOURCES TIMOTHY P.MURRAY RICHARD K.SULLIVAN JR GREGORY m RY C.WATSON Lieutenant Governor Secretary VAL L. PATRICK vernor Notice Pursuant to the provisions of the Rights-of-Way Management Regulations,333 CMR 11.00,to apply icicles to control vegetation along rights-of-way,a five year Vegetation Management Plan(VMP)and a Yearly rational Plan(YOP)must be approved by the Department of Agricultural Resources(DAR). National Grid has nitted and holds a current VMP,therefore,notice of receipt of a YOP and procedures for public review is by given as required by Section 11.06(3). National Grid has submitted a YOP to DAR for 2013 and National Grid's YOP identifies the following »cipalities as locations where they intend to use herbicides to treat their electric Rights-of-Way in 2013: Amesbury Andover Attleboro Auburn Barre Belchertown Bolton Boxford Boylston Buckland Charlemont Charlton Chelmsford Chelsea Clinton Colrain Douglas Dracut Dudley 2013 Municipalities Heath Hudson Lancaster Leicester Leominster Lowell Lynn Lynnfield Malden Mansfield Marlboro Melrose Merrimack Milford Millbury East Brookfield Easthampton Erving Everett Fall River Florida Franklin Monroe New Salem North Adams North Attleboro North Brookfield North Reading Northampton Norton Pepperell Petersham Plainville Rowe Royalston Saugus Seekonk Shelburne Shrewsbury Southboro Southbridge Spencer Sterling Sturbridge Sutton Swansea Tewksbury Townsend Upton Wakefield Webster Wendell West Boylston West Brookfield West Newbury Westboro Westminster Westport Weymouth The applicant is required to make all corrections and the corrected maps will be sent back to the city/town equested the disputed changes within fifteen days of receipt of the request. DAR will decide whether or not OP should be approved without the requested changes. DAR will consider the"final approval"of a YOP idually for each municipality. The twenty-one day public review period of the Municipal Notification Letter may serve concurrently with arty-five day YOP review period in order to provide public notifications as required by 333 CMR 11.06-7,if pplicant has an approved VMP and if all the requisite city-town offices that received copies of the YOP rleted their review and all corrections were duly made by the applicant and approved by DAR. A failure by the city/town to respond to the applicant's submission of the YOP within the forty-five day Id will automatically be considered by DAR to indicate agreement by the municipal officials with the sensitive demarcations provided by the applicant in their YOP. Any questions or comments on the information provided in this Notice and the procedures established for nunicipal review outlined above should be addressed to: Michael McClean Director of Rights-of-Way Programs Massachusetts State Pesticide Bureau 251 Causeway Street,Suite 500 Boston,MA 02114-2151 Any questions or comments regarding the YOP should be addressed to: Dawn Travalini Lead Vegetation Strategy Specialist National Grid 40 Sylvan Road Waltham,MA 02451 IMMENT PEROID ENDS AT THE CLOSE OF BUSINESS ON January 4, 2013 Page 3 of 3 shall commence more than ten days before nor conclude more than ten days after the treatment periods listed above. The work will be performed by one of the following companies: Vegetation Control Service, 2342 Main Street Athol, MA 01331 (978) 249-5348 Inc. Lewis Tree Service, Inc 300 Lucius Gordon Drive West Henrietta, NY 14586 (585) 436-3208 Lucas Tree Experts 12 Northbrook Drive Falmouth, ME 04105 (800) 339-8873 This informational 21-day notification is in compliance with Chapter 132B,section 68 of the Massachusetts General Laws, 333 CMR 11.05-11.07 Rights of Way Management and Chapter 85, Section 10 of the Acts of 2000. National Grid's vegetation management program is subject to federal and state regulations only. By statute, local permits or rulings are not applicable. For inquiries concerning safety of the herbicides, please contact: Director of Rights-of-Way Programs Massachusetts State Pesticide Bureau Department of Agricultural Resources 251 Causeway Street, Suite 500 Boston, MA 02114-2151 Telephone: (617) 626-1781 Please contact me if you have any questions about the application and monitoring of the vegetation control program. Sincerely, Dawn Travalini Lead Vegetation Strategy Specialist cc: Board of Health Conservation Commission Lewis Tree Service, Lucas Tree Experts or Vegetation Control Service Massachusetts Pesticide Bureau Municipal Water Supplier(s) Municipality: Northampton ROW#(S): 4004, 8208, 8210, 8220, 8230, 8240 ationalgrid kpril 13, 2013 CERTIFIED MAIL—Return Recei David Narkewicz Mayor City Hall, 210 Main Street Northampton, MA 01060 Dear David Narkewicz: Requested Dawn Travalini Lead Vegetation Strategy Specialist Vegetation Strategy 40 Sylvan Road,Waltham,MA 02451 781-907-2448 In a letter sent in November 2012, you received notification that National Grid would carry out late winter-spring mechanical control, cut surface (CST) or basal treatment; a summer selective foliage treatment;and, as necessary,summer and fall CST and basal treatments on rights-of- way,which pass through your municipality. Information on National Grid's approved Yearly Operational Plan (YOP) and maps showing the rights-of-way to be treated were included with that letter. The current Vegetation Management Plan (VMP) and approved 2013 YOP are posted at the following websites (hard copies available upon request): htt•: www.national.ridus.com on html National Grid VMP 2009-2013. df on html FINAL%202013/20YOP h Although you already received and reviewed copies of the YOP map(s) with the original notification please let us know if there are any additional sensitive areas located on or near the implement appropriate Please a field protective actions. We particularly rely establish process records and implement app P corrections to the public wells and to record the location of private wells. Commonwealth 13-15) of the YOP will be selectively lappl ed to target vegetation by listed in Massachusetts recommended experie 7 (pages backpack equipment.Massachusetts' the licensed/certified ersll herbicide labels and9fact esheets are also using included in the YOP,Appendices 7 and 8. Treatment Periods* une 3,2013-October 11,20 • national • ridus.com January 7,2013—June 3,2013 The exact treatment dates are dependent upon weather conditions and field crew progress. In compliance with 333 CMR 11.06-11.07, no herbicide applications will occur before the conclusion of the 45 day YOP review period,the 21 day treatment notice and the 48 hour no application notice. At the end of these review periods,which can run concurrently, pP lication Ch.' e Baker,Governor K�PoIItQ Lt Governor FrMk DePaola,Acting Secretary& CEO Frank DePaola,Administrator TIFIED MAIL URN RECEIPT REQUESTED thampton Board of Health Hall Main Street thampton, MA 01060 !' massDOT ' Massachusetts Department of Transportation Highway Division January 21, 2015 Re: 2015 Yearly Operational Plan Water Supplies 3r Board of Health Members: MassDOT Highway Division is currently preparing our 2015 Yearly Operational Plan (YOP) for )mission to the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources )MDAR), in accordance with r proposed 2015-2019 Vegetation Management Plan. the City of Northampton, the proposed herbicide application area is along Interstate 91, north d southbound lanes, including entrance and exit ramps) beginning at the Easthampton/ irthampton City line, proceeding northerly to the Northampton/Hatfield City line. mary target vegetation falls into one or more of the following categories: hazard vegetation, trimental vegetation, nuisance vegetation, and invasive vegetation. From a roadside vegetation anagement standpoint, target vegetation will be one or more of the followin g grasses,rasses, low- owing shrubs and vines, and tall growth (trees). imary target vegetation locations include: underneath guardrails,jersey barriers, curbing, taming walls, expansion joints,sidewalksslope paving,areas concrete median barrier, pavement evices,sign and delineator posts, poison ivy s described under 333 CMR 11.04)2))a-c), the Rights of Way Management regulations ua GroundcWater erbicide applications within specific perimeters of water supplies, particularly Jpplies, Public Surface Water Supplies and Private Drinking Water Supplies. Therefore,we are seking your assistance in providing us with the following information: 1. Location(s) of any Public Ground Water Supplies within 400 feet of 1-91; 2. Location(s) of any Public Surface Water Supplies within 100 feet of 1-91; 3. A current list/location(s) of any identified Private Wells within 100 feet of the 1-91 Right of Way; 4. Location(s) of the Primary Recharge Area(s) of a Public Ground Water Supply Well(s); 5. Or any other water supply source(s). f you require additional information, or have any questions, please contact Timothy Meyer, District Environmental Engineer,at (413) 582-0543. TM/ C- KW, TM, George Batchelor the Nation In Transportation Excellence Sincerely, Albert R. Stegemann, P.E. District Highway Director 811 North King Street, Northampton,MA 01060 Tel:413-582-0599,Fax:413-582-0596 www.massigov/massclot