To the editor,

Local newspapers have reported outcry from Westport neighbors to the proposed new school on Old County Road who are concerned about stormwater runoff and its effect on flooding their property, polluting their wells, and the river.

Where is the Watershed Alliance regarding this issue? Prior to the annual Town Meeting in May, they mailed out a brochure that was very informative in defining runoff and its impact on local waterbodies. Why are they silent amidst the neighborhood and now Planning Board concerns? (See front page of Shorelines, Sept. 6, 2018.)

The question is not rhetorical because grant money, loans from the state, and, of course, local cash cows are available for cleanup, public health concerns, and alternatives for an additional water supply and wastewater infrastructure (Westport River Watershed Alliance brochure). When it comes to revenue enhancement, it appears that controlling stormwater runoff is actually bad for business.

Marilyn Pease

Westport