Dear Editor:

The town of Boothbay and Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens have announced that they have reached a tentative settlement as a means to resolve CMBG’s lawsuits. As much as we all want this difficult situation resolved, this proposed settlement must serve the purposes of the entire community. We sincerely hope it does.

Does the settlement remove or significantly reduce the threat to Knickerbocker Lake from CMBG’s Walmart-sized parking lot? Will it protect the drinking water for the residents of Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor and Southport?

Please, everyone, come to the Boothbay Selectmen’s meeting on March 28 at 7 p.m. to find out. This community must ensure that the selectmen, who will be voting to deny or confirm this settlement offer, are making the right decision for the entire peninsula.

First, though, read the recent Water Quality Report from the Water District. It’s on their website. If nothing else, read the summary at the end of the report for information on the condition of Little Knickerbocker, which is where all of CMBG’s phosphorus will end up. Little Knickerbocker cannot afford any new sources of phosphorus, not least the 1.71 pounds per year CMBG says its parking lots will release. Little Knickerbocker is becoming eutrophic; already its bottom waters are a dead zone much of the year. And Little Knickerbocker is becoming a major phosphorus source for Knickerbocker, which can only increase its phosphorus level by 1 to 3 parts per billion before it, too, becomes prone to algae blooms.

A eutrophic water supply is a very expensive water supply, because more and more local dollars will be required to make it drinkable.

The Anthonys are not a party to this settlement. My family has been fighting to protect Knickerbocker Lake, several important wetlands, and our own health and property. We have also fought to ensure that CMBG plays by the same rules as everyone else. We all need to find out whether this agreement accomplishes that. If it does, that’s wonderful. If not, then we must convince the selectmen to vote against it.

Jason Anthony

Bristol