Conservation Commission orders Eversource to restore filled wetland at Sudbury substation

SUDBURY — March 10, 2025 — Sudbury Conservation Commission orders Eversource wetland restoration after year-long unpermitted fill. The commission unanimously issued an after-the-fact order of conditions Monday requiring Eversource to remove roughly 12 inches of gravel and geotextile fabric placed across a bordering vegetated wetland behind its 163 Boston Post Road substation during a 2023-24 outage affecting about 700 customers. SWCA Environmental Consultants' David Halliwell said "emergency procedures for accessing these through a wetland were not followed" and the fill sat unreported for over a year. As mitigation beyond the required restoration, Eversource agreed to remove invasives across roughly 27,000 square feet of adjacent wetland and submit annual monitoring reports. Member Mark Sevier pressed the utility on procurement records; Eversource's James Clancy acknowledged internal notification failed. The commission also approved an OARS Three Rivers rain garden and pollinator planting at the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail Morse Road crossing, funded by the Sudbury Foundation, with planting scheduled May 23. Members recommended Victor Sulkowski for a three-year associate term.