Mitigating Impacts of Warehouses on Watersheds (NRWA)

The goal of this project was to create a summary of potential impacts warehouses may have on municipalities and watersheds in Massachusetts and to use that summary to develop recommendations for communities. Information for this project was collected through visits to the case study location of Lancaster, Massachusetts, interviews, and thorough content analysis of warehouse documentation and permits. Through this research, we have found a variety of environmental, social, and economic impacts that warehouses can have that are both beneficial and detrimental in nature. We have also created recommendations for municipalities on matters such as mitigating unwanted impacts and reactions, increasing information availability and accessibility, and expanding communications.