Yvonne Abraham on King’s Beach in the Boston Globe

Boston - On June 10, Boston Globe Columnist Yvonne Abraham published an article on the environmental justice issue at King’s Beach titled ”How is it that King’s Beach, one of the region’s most spectacular beaches, is still unswimmable?” Abraham describes the issue of bacterial contamination, as well as the past reasons for inaction that have plagued both Lynn and Swampscott. The article summarizes the IDDE work by both cities under consent decrees from the US EPA, and points out that an additional intervention is necessary alongside remediation of aging sewer and stormwater infrastructure to give constituents the beach they deserve.

Abraham highlights that the time is now for action at King’s Beach. Thanks to the leadership of local elected officials such as State Senator Brendan Crighton and the King’s Beach Steering Committee, both cities have organized advocacy around the cleanup and worked with engineering consultants to push forward a UV treatment facility to address the elevated bacteria levels on the beach.

The UV solution is estimated to cost around $25 Million, and can be operational within a few years. Secretary Tepper and the staff at the MA Executive Office for Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) met with the Steering Committee and share the “desire for this beautiful public beach to be safe and accessible to the public,” but have not yet committed to supporting the project. The EEA wants to ensure that the UV facility is the best possible solution before moving forward.

The article concludes with a call to action for the Healey administration to make good on their commitments to environmental justice and take on this project on as a priority issue. If you are interested in reading the article, it can be reached at the following link: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/06/10/metro/beach-blanket-blech/?p1=StaffPage