GILL — FirstLight Power has removed a large portion of debris that had accumulated along the boat barrier between Gill and Turners Falls.
This decision comes after complaints from residents about trash buildup on the Gill side of Barton Cove.
After not initially planning to remove the debris until its annual river cleanup from Sept. 24 to 26, FirstLight announced plans to tend to the barrier on Aug. 27. On Aug. 31, the amount of wood, Styrofoam, and other debris at the barrier was reduced significantly.
Initially, FirstLight said they had “no immediate concerns regarding (the boat barrier’s) ability to withstand the heavy debris load,” according to a statement written by FirstLight Manager of Government Affairs and Community Relations Carter Wall.
On Aug. 27, Wall released another statement that said FirstLight “determined that removing the debris from the barrier is necessary.” She said that the mass had become “much larger than is typical” and “under normal circumstances, debris that has collected against the barrier is not removed.”
In its Aug. 31 statement following the cleanup, FirstLight said “To the extent that it was safe to do so, non-organic debris such as Styrofoam was bagged and disposed of.” The statement pegged the aftermath of Hurricane Ida as reason to not let the debris field continue to grow.