BAPAC

Who We Are:
The Barnes Aquifer Protection Advisory Committee (BAPAC) is a coalition of four communities: Westfield, Holyoke, Easthampton and Southampton—and the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC), whichwork together to protect the Barnes Aquifer, an importantregional groundwater resource. Each of the four member communities is represented by three people appointed by the chief elected official. These municipal members currently represent water, planning, conservation, and community development departments. PVPC designates one representative for the committee.

What We Do:
BAPAC educates and advises local governments, citizen groups, and small businesses about groundwater protection and effects on the aquifer. The committee reviews Developments of Regional Impact within the aquifer and provides comments to approval authorities.

Where We Work:
BAPAC addresses water quality issues in the geographic area of the Barnes Aquifer, which extends through portions of Westfield, Holyoke, Easthampton, and Southampton.

Why We Were Created:
The size, importance, and inter-municipal geography of the Barnes Aquifer demands regional cooperation and regional solutions to fully protect this critical water supply. Recognizing this, PVPC and municipal officials from Westfield, Holyoke, Easthampton, and Southampton convened an initial meeting in March 1988 to discuss cooperative strategies for protecting the Barnes Aquifer. Out of this meeting grew the idea for creating a regional aquifer protection advisory committee.

When We Were Created:
On September 26, 1988, an ad hoc committee began working on a regional water supply protection strategy, and on an inter-municipal compact to formalize municipal commitments to implement this strategy. In December 1989, the chief officials of Westfield, Holyoke, Easthampton, and Southampton joined PVPC in formally committing to work together by signing the “Memorandum of Agreement for Barnes Aquifer Protection at a public ceremony. This agreement provided the mechanism for creating and maintaining BAPAC.

BAPAC POSITION PAPER RELEASED THIS WEEK
http://www.pvpc.org/bapac/docs/NorthamptonLandfillPosition.pdf

Source: James "JP" Kwiecinski