Fairhaven property owner fined $38K for wetlands violations, told to restore coast

FAIRHAVEN – The Massachusetts attorney general announced last week a $38,000 settlement with a Fairhaven man who allegedly filled in wetlands and clear-cut vegetation.
Attorney General Martha Coakley and the Mass. Department of Environmental Protection said that aside from the fine, Carlos A. Pereira would restore the damage to the coastal property and nearby islands. He will also make a $2,000 donation to the Coalition for Buzzards Bay, a nonprofit organization seeking the protection of the Buzzards Bay watershed. Pereira stands to see the civil fine reduced by $18,000 if he complies with the restoration and donation components.
“Property owners and their tenants cannot ignore long-standing environmental standards meant to protect and preserve our precious coastal resources and preserve the public’s rights of access to the water,” said Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Laurie Burt.
According to the complaint, Pereira violated state law by building stone walls, altering a salt marsh and enlarging a jetty without approval from the state. He has maintained the work was done without his knowledge by a tenant.
“We hope that this case will make coastal property owners think twice before they alter wetlands without required authorizations, and encourage landlords to institute measures to ensure their tenants’ compliance with the Wetlands Protection Act,” Coakley said.