New Building Codes and PFAS Concerns Take Center Stage in Marshfield
Town officials grapple with flood zone regulations, energy efficiency standards, and potential water contamination risks
MARSHFIELD, MA - July 8 - Marshfield homeowners and developers will soon face stricter building requirements, as the town's building commissioner announced significant changes to local codes during Monday's Select Board meeting. The updates, set to take effect in the coming months, will impact flood zone regulations and energy efficiency standards.
Building Commissioner Andrew Stewart outlined the upcoming changes, which include more stringent flood zone requirements. "In A zones and AE zones, which is shallow ponding and flooding, your first floor will have to be two feet above the elevation that FEMA gives out in the flood maps," Stewart explained. This marks an increase from the current one-foot requirement.
For velocity zones - high wind and wave action areas near seawalls - structures will need to be elevated even higher. "Those houses that you see on pilings right against the ocean, those are added so that the bottom of the beam that supports the entire structure has to be three feet above the elevation that FEMA is giving us," Stewart said. This is a one-foot increase from the current standard.
The changes come in response to flooding events occurring across the country and globe. Stewart acknowledged the challenges these updates may pose: "Ultimately it's a good thing to protect our structures, but I know that it's difficult and change can be confusing."
In addition to flood zone updates, Marshfield implemented new energy codes on July 1. These codes aim to make houses more energy efficient but will likely increase compliance costs for homeowners and builders.
"It is going to be a lot more, make these houses a lot more efficient, a lot more energy efficient, a lot more insulated. But it will increase the value or increase the cost of compliance," Stewart noted.
While building code changes dominated much of the discussion, the Select Board also addressed concerns about potential water contamination from a proposed 40B housing project. The board approved sending a letter to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) seeking clarification on the project's compliance with water supply regulations.
The proposed 56-unit apartment complex off Ferry Street would include eight buildings, each with its own septic system utilizing nitrogen-reducing technology. However, the town's Board of Public Works has raised alarms about potential PFAS contamination.
According to the letter, "The board of public works itself is stating publicly that because of future modeling by EPS it is likely that the amount of PFAS from this proposed wastewater system will within two years of the commencement of use likely impact the town's closest water supply wells in an amount that will essentially contaminate the wells and trigger the need for PFAS treatment."
Current PFAS levels at the well site are 0.032 parts per trillion, below reporting and treatment thresholds. The source of this existing contamination is unknown.
Select Board Chair Lynne Fidler emphasized the importance of addressing these concerns, stating, "Communication is key, but we have to be listeners."
The board's letter to the DEP asks if there are "any existing laws or regulations relating to public water supplies as of November 2023 which was the date of the application and that the proposed project is not consistent with."