DENNIS – The Association to Preserve Cape Cod recently sent a letter to the state’s congressional lawmakers urging them to confirm that the fate of the multipurpose machine gun range proposed at Joint Base Cape Cod will not be held as a condition for acquiring bridge replacement funds as they pursue funding from the Department of Defense (DOD) for the replacement of the Cape Cod Canal Bridges.
The letter, addressed to senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey and representatives William Keating and Seth Moulton comes following a separate letter written to the DOD Secretary Lloyd Austin by the recipients asking the Department of Defense to contribute a portion of the funds needed to replace the aging bridges.
Although the letter sent to the DOD did not mention the machine gun range, the association’s message raised concerns that funding for the bridges may be withheld as a bargaining chip to force the approval of the controversial project.
The APCC also sought assurances that no pressure would be exerted on the Environmental Protection Agency to amend its draft determination that the machine gun range project has the potential to contaminate the Cape’s aquifer and create health hazards for the public.
If finalized, the EPA’s findings would preclude federal funding from being used for the machine gun range project.
The APCC maintains that the replacement of the bridges and the protection of the Cape’s drinking water can both be achieved without sacrificing one for the other.
By, Matthew Tomlinson, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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