The subject of Guilford Rail System's proposed auto unloading project near the southeast end of Spectacle Pond has been and continues to be on the minds of those who care about preserving the quality of our area ponds and lakes. It seems that this Big Business believes that it is above the law that applies to you and me. Fortunately the power of the press and the voices they let be heard are not silenced.
Articles concerning Guilford have been in local town papers and The Boston Globe. An article published in The Boston Globe, dated December 19, 1999 documented concerns the residents have and the actions of Guilford and their intentions. "We just don't think the risks from a spill are worth it. But to our dismay, we have discovered neither the town nor the state can offer us much help in protecting this water supply for the communities which depend on it" says Rob Hartz, a local resident on the pond. The article went into detail about the plans to build a paved 3,000 car parking lot on an aquifer that holds the water supply that feeds Ayer and parts of Littleton. The threat the our water supply is clearly a huge concern. But the new facility would also substantially increase the daily number of 18-wheeler truck trips on local roads. Improvements to Willow Road and adjacent intersections would be necessary to handle all the additional traffic. Ambient noise would increase also and there are no plans in this project to ameliorate it.
The Town of Ayer has declared the project a "noisome trade". This means that the proposed plan is not just a potential pollutant to the land but to the air as well. After this declaration, Guilford apparently decided to ignore the local government stipulations and concerns. Guilford has stated that, as a railroad, they are only regulated by the federal government's Surface Transportation Board, and that town and state regulations, however reasonable to the rest of us, do not apply to them.
This is just a short synopsis of the serious concerns that we as residents share about this project. Many years ago we the people resolved to end tyranny from a crown. Today our tyranny comes in less obvious forms, but our resolve must be no different. It wasn't a few people who won our war of independence; it never is. It was the resolve to stay the course and be united. Your voice counts and will be heard. Help us keep our water and our environment clean by insisting that Guilford be held to the same standards as everyone else in our Commonwealth.