Folks all around are getting ready to “clean up the Connecticut River.”

Many tons of trash will be collected, and hundreds of people will happily take part in these community events to help protect New England’s beautiful waterway. Cleanups are a source of community celebration, pride and fun. I am so happy that the cleanup is happening again!

However, there is on our beloved river the Northfield pumped storage station which is every bit as bad for the river as the rubbish we will be cleaning out of the river.

We can see and remove the debris but the killing of plant and fish life cannot be ignored. I encourage everyone who loves our river, and even those of you who simply know it exists to do whatever you can to shut down the Northfield Pump Station

No Connecticut River cleanup can ever be said to be a complete success until the half century of massive waste, river-reversing disruption and daily ecosystem destruction of the Northfield Mountain pumped storage station is shut down at long last.

Paki Wieland

Greenfield