Journal of a Sabbatical

September 13, 1998

sign

Copyright © 1998, Janet I. Egan

The widgeons are back, but that's not the most important thing at Watchemocket Cove today. Nope, that would be the sign. Some months ago, never mind how long exactly, there was a lot of rain. A way wicked lot of rain. The East Providence sewage pumping plant overflowed. Into Watchemocket Cove. This made news mainly because Save the Bay is suing the city of East Providence for polluting the bay. So what's this got to do with the sign? Well, like I said this sewage overflow happened some months ago. This week - that is sometime between Monday and today - a sign appeared at the cove warning people that this area is subject to sewage and please keep out. [Insert picture of sign as soon as developed]

Breaders, fishermen, birders, swans, widgeons,geese, gulls, mallards all ignored the sign.

But wait, there's more.

In my research to find out when and why the sign went up, I found out that the Corps of Engineers is planning to dig a pit at the northern tip of the cove to burn and bury the polluted sediments when they dredge the Providence River shipping channel.

Sewage, sediment, what next?

Color me mad.