Boston South Station Expansion forces Harm to Charles River, Objections to State Environmental Report

Boston South Station Expansion forces Harm to Charles River, Objections to State Environmental Report

1. Introduction.
2. Letter to Secretary.
3. Photos of Grand Junction in habitat of Charles River White Geese and other free animals.

1. Introduction.

On July 22, 2016, I snail mailed the following comments to the State Environmental Secretary concerning impact on the Grand Junction and the Charles River of inadequate expansion presently being proposed for South Station in Boston.

To put it concisely, South Station expansion as proposed forces future expansion of train service to the west of Boston onto the Grand Junction Railroad, which runs through the goose habitat, with the associated environmental harm to the Charles River and its animals.  This expansion is being fought for by the City of Cambridge with the sort of irresponsible tactics which are common by Cambridge and its friends, as was so brutally demonstrated in outrageous destruction on the Charles River.

The PS very briefly objects to the ongoing efforts of the Massachusetts governor to destroy the Massachusetts movie industry.  It was no accident that I mentioned I was working on a significant movie IN RHODE ISLAND on the day of the presentation which I missed.

The concluding bracketed comment is in that form in the original.

Comments are due by snail mail, email or fax not later than August 5, 2016.  Snail mail goes to the below address.  Email comments go to holly.s.johnson@state.ma.us.  Faxed comments go to Holly Johnson at 617-626-1181.  Copies may also be sent to Steve Woelfel, Massachusetts Department of Transportation, 10 Park Plaza, Room 4150,Boston, MA   02116, or steve.woelfel@state.ma.us.  I will notify Mr. Woelfel by transmitting a link to this blog post.

Photos of the Grand Junction in the habitat of the Charles River White Geese and other animals are presented in section 3, below.

2. Letter to Environmental Secretary.

Secretary Matthew Beaton
Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA)
MEPA Office, Attn: Holly Johnson, MEPA Analyst
EEA #15028
100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900
Boston, MA   02114

Mr. Secretary:

I am writing individually and as Chair of Friends of the White Geese, a Massachusetts Non Profit registered with the Attorney General since 2001.

First of all, I object to the listing of my comments in the report as made individually (pages 186 to 194 of the DVD, pages 184 to 192 of chapter 5, as near as I can understand it) .  Clearly, as stated at the top of page 2 of the principal comments (page 188 of the DVD, page 186 of chapter 5), I am commenting individually and as Chair of Friends of the White Geese.  Failure to recognize the environmental concerns of this organization fit very well into the outrages going on on the Charles River which, commonly have been achieved by sweeping under the rug the very extreme irresponsibility inherent in these outrages.

I have provided great detail with more than a hundred photos on these related outrages in my YouTube video, “The Destruction of Memorial Drive, Charles River, Cambridge, MA, January - February 2016,” posted at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTplCCEJP7o, and incorporated herein by reference.  A DVD of this video is attached to my hard copy submission.

My comments (pages 186 to 194 of the DVD, pages 184 to 192 of chapter 5) include my own very great experience and success in standing up to the irresponsible government of the City of Cambridge.

The FEIR hides the fact that mandating passenger service on the Grand Junction is forced by this project and omits any and all impacts of forced use of the Grand Junction.  The report hides the fact that this omission and action MAKES WORSE the outrage started by the City of Cambridge and the DCR already.

The FEIR is deficient in that it only evaluates the South Station Expansion in terms of fulfilling needs for “south side expansion.”

The problem with the plan is that it does not recognize that South Station expansion should not only support expansion on the south side, but also MUST support expansion to the west.

There are significant plans for west side expansion.

Failure to allow for expansion to the west puts the railroad system in a situation where west side expansion must be supported through use of the Grand Junction, and there is no environmental analysis of use of the Grand Junction which is mandated by this inadequate expansion of South Station.

Responsible expansion of South Station would be comparable to the construction of the South Station Bus Terminal.  The Bus Terminal has an addition floor currently used for parking but which can be used to expand bus service in the Bus Terminal when and if it is necessary.

The key failure is failure to analyze expansion by creating lower levels for track expansion below the proposed track expansion.  This lack of adequate expansion foregoes west side expansion except by the UNSTUDIED Grand Junction Expansion.

Construction now of lower levels under the new tracks and / or under Dorchester Avenue would provide a responsible alternative to use of the Grand Junction, and use, in the interim, of the added levels for parking until they are needed.  This is stated in great detail in my analysis with graphics (pages 186 to 194 of the DVD, pages 184 to 192 of chapter 5).

The FEIR fails to either include Grand Junction use forced by inadequate expansion of South Station and fails to evaluate expansion of South Station which includes those lower levels.  The failure omits the responsible two alternative way to go.

Failure to include either renders the FEIR fatally deficient.

This glaring failure is distressingly common with regard to irresponsible projects in Cambridge which would generate, and have generated, massive opposition if done other than in secret.

Cambridge voter opposition to the Grand Junction use for passenger service with its environmental destruction has been widely communicated in spite of attempts by Cambridge to stifle the Cambridge population and to manipulate its population in destructive ways.

The Cambridge population has stood up to the outrages of its government and its attempt to manipulate its population with regard to the Grand Junction.

MassDOT has behaved exemplarily in standing up to the irresponsible Cambridge government and the Cambridge government’s contempt for the well founded objections of its own population.

The destructiveness of Grand Junction usage is being sneaked into the South Station expansion project by refusal to admit the destruction of west side service to South Station while loudly proclaiming full support OF SOUTHSIDE EXPANSION, AND ONLY SOUTHSIDE EXPANSION.

Creation of room to expand South Station by constructing lower floors in the new project is the only way to responsibly allow for westside expansion without use of the UNEVALUATED Grand Junction passenger service relocation.

The lower floors, as in the responsibly constructed Bus Terminal’s top floor, can be used for parking until expansion of South Station is needed to support westside expansion of service.

Sincerely,



Robert J. La Trémouille
Individually, and as
Chair, Friends of the White Geese
PS: I regret missing the July 20 presentation.  I am a professional movie actor.  At the time of the presentation, I was working in Rhode Island on The Polka King.

Attachment:

DVD of The Destruction of Memorial Drive, Charles River, Cambridge, MA, January - February 2016, Final Cut [URL to online publication provided in text.]

3. Photos of Grand Junction in habitat of Charles River White Geese and other free animals.

First of all, the video on the Destruction of Memorial Drive . . ., at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTplCCEJP7o, includes the two best photos I have of the Grand Junction and the Charles River White Geese patrolling it.  I have not been able to find those photos again, so here are a few less beautiful.

The first photo, from the BU Bridge, shows the Grand Junction Railroad Bridge on the right, and the Destroyed Nesting Area on the left.  The small white figures are the Charles River White Geese.

ALL GROUND VEGETATION  in this area was destroyed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation acting through the falsely named Charles River "Conservancy."

Here are two Charles River White Geese just off the shore of the Destroyed Nesting Area.  The photo was probably taken from the brown area next to the white figures, above.  The structure in the rear is the same support for the Grand Junction Railroad Bridge shown above.

This is a photo of the Charles River White Geese desperately looking for food near the Grand Junction Railroad Bridge.  The desperation is based on the deliberate starvation of them by Cambridge and the DCR, once again, analyzed in much greater detail in the video.

City of Cambridge plans would build a fence parallel to the tracks preventing free animals from crossing the tracks from the Destroyed Nesting Area to the Wild Area which Cambridge and the DCR want to destroy, as analyzed in detail in the video.

This is the same location taken from the Memorial Drive overpass, which is straight ahead, above.  The various materials seen were there as part of the railroad work whose workers did so much totally unnecessary harm, WITH DCR CONSENT, to the Destroyed Nesting Area.

4. Supplement to Photos of Grand Junction, supplement posted July 24, 2006

I still cannot find the two photos in the video.  Here is another good shot from the BU Bridge looking down the length of the Grand Junction Bridge.

On the right is the doomed wild area, the subject of yet another lie from the DCR and friends.

The destruction plans which the DCR and Cambridge just implemented show exactly ONE TREE to the right of the Grand Junction, and say that they are not destroying that one tree.

Very clearly, the only reason such a plan would be in the package is to lie that they are not destroying this thick woods.

The clear communication, recognizing the kind of people we are dealing with, is that Cambridge and the DCR intend to destroy every tree BUT ONE between the Grand Junction and Boston University’s Cambridge Boathouse on the right

Charles River: Visit to Destroyed Nesting Area, 7/10/16

Charles River:   Visit to Destroyed Nesting Area, 7/10/16


1. Introduction.
2. Photos on Sunday, July 10, 2016.
A. The gaggle.
B. The entrance.
C. Near Entrance and BU Bridge.
D. Core Area.
E. Toward Memorial Drive Ramp.
3. Context.
A. Destruction plans PARTIALLY implemented in January.
B. Wild Area.
C. Near Entrance and BU Bridge.
D. Core Area.
E. General Summary Flier.


1. Introduction.

I was at the Destroyed Nesting Area of the Charles River White Geese pretty early, 7 am, on the morning of Sunday, July 10, 2016.

To place this report in perspective, please review my video, The Destruction of Memorial Drive, Charles River, Cambridge, MA, USA, January - February 2016, Final Cut, posted at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTplCCEJP7o.  This report is a clear improvement over the prior posting, ed. 3 in content and in presentation.  So, if you viewed ed. 3, there is value in looking at the Final Cut.

The video includes a number of views of the Destroyed Nesting Area and the Wild Area, plus photos of massive destruction not that far from them

2. Photos on Sunday, July 10, 2016.

Here are a few pictures from Sunday.

A. The gaggle.

The gaggle in the Destroyed Nesting Area could have been all together in one group.  If so, it is clearly smaller than they were before the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Cambridge and their cheerleaders started starving them.

I saw both the vestigially marked brown gander and the now elderly Toulouse goose still there.  The families tend to stick together.  Seeing both of them there means at least those two families were still at the DNA.  I saw no smaller geese.  That, most likely, means that all the babies have reached their adult size or close to it.

Here are three photos of the gaggle.  They are in the area most cherished by the Charles River White Geese, under the big tree.  The DCR and its vile agents have destroyed all ground vegetation so nothing remains for them to rest on but dirt and crushed stone dumped by the irresponsible railroad workers whose destructiveness was, for the most part, blessed by the DCR in spite of the objections of the Cambridge Conservation Commission to irresponsible parking.

B. The entrance.

Here is the entrance.  It has been made “more secure”.  There was a point that the DCR was lying that they wanted a park here for use by human beings, but the human beings thought that use by human beings did not make much sense.

More recently, the DCR discovered that the Charles River White Geese were using the entrance to get food.  The DCR cannot allow the Charles River White Geese any more food than the DCR can help.  So the entrance has been closed with varying obstacles.  Human wear and tear appears to be bad for the obstacles.

There is a small opening through the obstacles that the Charles River White Geese could possibly use.  It has two problems from their point of view.  First, the plastic could conceivably hurt them by getting their feet tangled.  Secondly the opening is narrower than they prefer and could be dangerous because of its narrowness.  They could be vulnerable to attacks by animals outside.  So they are probably just being starved.

After all, heartless animal abuse is one of the claimed rights of the DCR.  Just listen to its cheerleaders.

C. Near Entrance and BU Bridge.

Here are a few photos of the area near the entrance and next to the BU Bridge.

There is a lot of dirt.  The DCR likes dirt.  The last thing the DCR wants is responsible ground vegetation like, shudder, grass.

The birds in the Charles River in the last photo are Canadas.

The grey wall straight ahead in the second photo, and on the left in the third and fourth is the BU Bridge.

The structure running from left to right in the last picture is the Grand Junction Railroad Bridge.

D. Core Area.

Here are some photos of the area which is the core area of the Charles River White Geese.

Cambridge’s irresponsible city council is considering plans which would destroy most if not all of these trees.  This is in the part of the “Grand Junction” plan that is kept as secret as possible.  The irresponsible parts of Cambridge plans are always kept as secret as possible.  The City Council members, loudly brag, WITHOUT MENTION OF THE DESTRUCTIVE PART, about their plans for the Grand Junction.

This is the usual lying of omission.  Brag about the good stuff.  Lie about the vile stuff, and get responsible people supporting the entire package under the false impression they are dealing with a responsible city government.

To be exact, too many members of the Cambridge City Council loudly declare no right to discuss the Charles River, LYING THROUGH OMISSION about their current destructive plans and about past and planned destructive City of Cambridge behavior.

E. Toward Memorial Drive Ramp.

And is a photo of the area with, on the right, the hillside toward the ramp to Memorial Drive.  At the top of the crushed stone highway can be see the orange blockage at the entrance.  This prevents public use of the supposed public highway, but the blockade serves a purpose.  It further starves the Charles River White Geese in accordance with the DCR's rights as Heartless Animal Abusers.

The brown area to the left has been shown in detail in the first photo in section 1.C of this report.  Bushes died.  Not even grass planted in their place.

No grass in the brown area.  No responsible ground vegetation.  Any green spots in the ever present dirt look like moss.  Although some of the native vegetation is expanding a little bit, as is some of the introduced stuff.

There have been some small trees planted.  The contractors like money.

3. Context.

A. Destruction plans PARTIALLY implemented in January..

Here are the DCR destruction plans for the DNA and the Wild Area.  This is the part of the January 2016 destruction which has been the least implemented SO FAR.

At the top of the map is Memorial Drive and the on ramp from the BU Bridge.  At the bottom right is the Charles River.

One of the biggest makes when dealing with the DCR or Cambridge is to assume “they would never stoop so low.”

It is entirely possible that I have made that error in interpreting this map.

B. Wild Area.

The middle right side of the map, above the Charles River. is the Wild Area.

Here is photo of it from last year.  It is right in the middle of the photo.  On the left is the railroad bridge.  On the right is Boston University’s BU Boathouse.

The map shows EXACTLY ONE TREE in this area.  The only reasonable interpretation is that they are destroying everything and simply lying.  They do a lot of lying.

If you look to the left in the map, you will see one blackened in circle.  That is the magnificent tree overlooking the Destroyed Nesting Area which the DCR brags it wants to destroy.

C. Magnificent, doomed tree.

Here is a photo of that magnificent tree also from before this year.

This particular doomed tree dominates the photo and for what it is worth, towers over the red light in addition to everything else.

Under the doomed tree to the left is the ramp to Memorial Drive.  The entrance to the Destroyed Nesting Area is directly above the middle of the three highway lines.  The food the Charles River White Geese have the nerve to want is the grass on the left side of the on ramp.

I do not see the blockade to the entrance in this photo.  It must have been before the DCR learned the Charles River White Geese were actually having the nerve to eat.

The plans show other, not destroyed trees next to the on ramp to Memorial Drive.

But the plans show nothing else in the nesting area.  I have been making the mistake of assuming that they omissions were for lack of relevance.  But there is the problem that it is always a mistake to assume “they would never stoop so low.”

First of all, they plan to destroyed the Wild Area.  The easiest way to destroy the Wild Area is by trucks through the Destroyed Nesting Area.  Those trucks would destroy much of the pittance of responsible or vaguely responsible vegetation which has been planted.  They would also destroy trees which have not been show.

D. City Council Destruction Plans.

Additionally, here is the plan the Cambridge City Council is considering and lying about by omission.  One of the plans show a fence between the Destroyed Nesting Area and the Wild Area.  The Charles River White Geese have used the Wild Area for nesting because of the massive destruction of ground vegetation.  That fence would destroy access.

In this photo, the Charles River is at the top right, with the BU Bridge at the bottom and, apparently, the on ramp parallel to Memorial Drive.

The Cambridge City Council is considering highway construction here, the J shape in the middle of the Destroyed Nesting Area.  This is the major stuff they are lying about by omission.  It is clearly visible in the map.

What is not visible is the number of trees which would be destroyed.  This part of Cambridge plans is pretty much ALWAYS omitted through Cambridge’s very strong policy of lying by omission.

Additionally, none of the trees toward the Charles River are shown.  The DCR has show its loving for destroying trees next to the Charles River in the January 2016 destruction.

There is no reasonable to assume “they would never stoop so low.”

E. General Summary Flier.

On general principles, here is the main flier being distributed, for your information.  It gives contact possibilities, plus proposals for response, and gives my explanation for the outrage.  It does not go into the plans for destruction at Magazine Beach, on the other side of the BU Bridge.  I really much limit the content of each report.

Charles River: Visit to Destroyed Nesting Area, 7/10/16

Charles River:   Visit to Destroyed Nesting Area, 7/10/16


1. Introduction.
2. Photos on Sunday, July 10, 2016.
A. The gaggle.
B. The entrance.
C. Near Entrance and BU Bridge.
D. Core Area.
E. Toward Memorial Drive Ramp.
3. Context.
A. Destruction plans PARTIALLY implemented in January.
B. Wild Area.
C. Near Entrance and BU Bridge.
D. Core Area.
E. General Summary Flier.


1. Introduction.

I was at the Destroyed Nesting Area of the Charles River White Geese pretty early, 7 am, on the morning of Sunday, July 10, 2016.

To place this report in perspective, please review my video, The Destruction of Memorial Drive, Charles River, Cambridge, MA, USA, January - February 2016, Final Cut, posted at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTplCCEJP7o.  This reort is a clear improvement over the prior posting, ed. 3 in content and in presentation.  So, if you viewed ed. 3, there is value in looking at the Final Cut.

The video includes a number of views of the Destroyed Nesting Area and theWild Area, plus photos of massive destruction not that far from them

2. Photos on Sunday, July 10, 2016.

Here are a few pictures from Sunday.

A. The gaggle.

The gaggle in the Destroyed Nesting Area could have been all together in one group.  If so, it is clearly smaller than they were before the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Cambridge and their cheerleaders started starving them.

I saw both the vestigially marked brown gander and the now elderly Toulouse goose still there.  The families tend to stick together.  Seeing both of them there means at least those two families were still at the DNA.  I saw no smaller geese.  That, most likely, means that all the babies have reached their adult size or close to it.

Here are three photos of the gaggle.  They are in the area most cherished by the Charles River White Geese, under the big tree.  The DCR and its vile agents have destroyed all ground vegetation so nothing remains for them to rest on but dirt and crushed stone dumped by the irresponsible railroad workers whose destructiveness was, for the most part, blessed by the DCR in spite of the objections of the Cambridge Conservation Commission to irresponsible parking.

B. The entrance.

Here is the entrance.  It has been made “more secure”.  There was a point that the DCR was lying that they wanted a park here for use by human beings, but the human beings thought that use by human beings did not make much sense.

More recently, the DCR discovered that the Charles River White Geese were using the entrance to get food.  The DCR cannot allow the Charles River White Geese any more food than the DCR can help.  So the entrance has been closed with varying obstacles.  Human wear and tear appears to be bad for the obstacles.

There is a small opening through the obstacles that the Charles River White Geese could possibly use.  It has two problems from their point of view.  First, the plastic could conceivably hurt them by getting their feet tangled.  Secondly the opening is narrower than they prefer and could be dangerous because of its narrowness.  They could be vulnerable to attacks by animals outside.  So they are probably just being starved.

After all, heartless animal abuse is one of the claimed rights of the DCR.  Just listen to its cheerleaders.

C. Near Entrance and BU Bridge.

Here are a few photos of the area near the entrance and next to the BU Bridge.

There is a lot of dirt.  The DCR likes dirt.  The last thing the DCR wants is responsible ground vegetation like, shudder, grass.

The birds in the Charles River in the last photo are Canadas.

The grey wall straight ahead in the second photo, and on the left in the third and fourth is the BU Bridge.

The structure running from left to right in the last picture is the Grand Junction Railroad Bridge.

D. Core Area.

Here are some photos of the area which is the core area of the Charles River White Geese.

Cambridge’s irresponsible city council is considering plans which would destroy most if not all of these trees.  This is in the part of the “Grand Junction” plan that is kept as secret as possible.  The irresponsible parts of Cambridge plans are always kept as secret as possible.  The City Council members, loudly brag, WITHOUT MENTION OF THE DESTRUCTIVE PART, about their plans for the Grand Junction.

This is the usual lying of omission.  Brag about the good stuff.  Lie about the vile stuff, and get responsible people supporting the entire package under the false impression they are dealing with a responsible city government.

To be exact, too many members of the Cambridge City Council loudly declare no right to discuss the Charles River, LYING THROUGH OMISSION about their current destructive plans and about past and planned destructive City of Cambridge behavior.

E. Toward Memorial Drive Ramp.

And is a photo of the area with, on the right, the hillside toward the ramp to Memorial Drive.  At the top of the crushed stone highway can be see the orange blockage at the entrance.  This prevents public use of the supposed public highway, but the blockade serves a purpose.  It further starves the Charles River White Geese in accordance with the DCR's rights as Heartless Animal Abusers.

The brown area to the left has been shown in detail in the first photo in section 1.C of this report.  Bushes died.  Not even grass planted in their place.

No grass in the brown area.  No responsible ground vegetation.  Any green spots in the ever present dirt look like moss.  Although some of the native vegetation is expanding a little bit, as is some of the introduced stuff.

There have been some small trees planted.  The contractors like money.

3. Context.

A. Destruction plans PARTIALLY implemented in January..

Here are the DCR destruction plans for the DNA and the Wild Area.  This is the part of the January 2016 destruction which has been the least implemented SO FAR.

At the top of the map is Memorial Drive and the on ramp from the BU Bridge.  At the bottom right is the Charles River.

One of the biggest makes when dealing with the DCR or Cambridge is to assume “they would never stoop so low.”

It is entirely possible that I have made that error in interpreting this map.

B. Wild Area.

The middle right side of the map, above the Charles River. is the Wild Area.

Here is photo of it from last year.  It is right in the middle of the photo.  On the left is the railroad bridge.  On the right is Boston University’s BU Boathouse.

The map shows EXACTLY ONE TREE in this area.  The only reasonable interpretation is that they are destroying everything and simply lying.  They do a lot of lying.

If you look to the left in the map, you will see one blackened in circle.  That is the magnificent tree overlooking the Destroyed Nesting Area which the DCR brags it wants to destroy.

C. Magnificent, doomed tree.

Here is a photo of that magnificent tree also from before this year.

This particular doomed tree dominates the photo and for what it is worth, towers over the red light in addition to everything else.

Under the doomed tree to the left is the ramp to Memorial Drive.  The entrance to the Destroyed Nesting Area is directly above the middle of the three highway lines.  The food the Charles River White Geese have the nerve to want is the grass on the left side of the on ramp.

I do not see the blockade to the entrance in this photo.  It must have been before the DCR learned the Charles River White Geese were actually having the nerve to eat.

The plans show other, not destroyed trees next to the on ramp to Memorial Drive.

But the plans show nothing else in the nesting area.  I have been making the mistake of assuming that they omissions were for lack of relevance.  But there is the problem that it is always a mistake to assume “they would never stoop so low.”

First of all, they plan to destroyed the Wild Area.  The easiest way to destroy the Wild Area is by trucks through the Destroyed Nesting Area.  Those trucks would destroy much of the pittance of responsible or vaguely responsible vegetation which has been planted.  They would also destroy trees which have not been show.

D. City Council Destruction Plans.

Additionally, here is the plan the Cambridge City Council is considering and lying about by omission.  One of the plans show a fence between the Destroyed Nesting Area and the Wild Area.  The Charles River White Geese have used the Wild Area for nesting because of the massive destruction of ground vegetation.  That fence would destroy access.

In this photo, the Charles River is at the top right, with the BU Bridge at the bottom and, apparently, the on ramp parallel to Memorial Drive.

The Cambridge City Council is considering highway construction here, the J shape in the middle of the Destroyed Nesting Area.  This is the major stuff they are lying about by omission.  It is clearly visible in the map.

What is not visible is the number of trees which would be destroyed.  This part of Cambridge plans is pretty much ALWAYS omitted through Cambridge’s very strong policy of lying by omission.

Additionally, none of the trees toward the Charles River are shown.  The DCR has show its loving for destroying trees next to the Charles River in the January 2016 destruction.

There is no reasonable to assume “they would never stoop so low.”

E. General Summary Flier.

On general principles, here is the main flier being distributed, for your information.  It gives contact possibilities, plus proposals for response, and gives my explanation for the outrage.  It does not go into the plans for destruction at Magazine Beach, on the other side of the BU Bridge.  I really much limit the content of each report.