Supplier News
US – Wynn Boston Harbor recommended for permit approval by DEP
By Phil - 20 July 2016
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has recommended Wynn Resorts’ Wynn Boston Harbor project in Everett, near Boston, for a waterfront development permit.
The operator will spend 430m clearing up the plot of land where the casino will be built at the former Monsanto Chemical Plant, which has been contaminated with lead, arsenic, and other pollutants.
Wynn has been told it must increase the project’s open space surrounding the property and must include waterfront amenities, such as a ferry service, a fishing pier and a kayak and canoe launch area near the casino.
Jane Rothchild, an officer for DEP, said: “One does not need to be a casino enthusiast to recognize and acknowledge the benefit that accrues to a city when a long-dormant contaminated waste site is cleaned up and brought back to useful life.”
She added the changes would ‘complement the multipurpose dock at the casino site and provide additional activation of the Mystic River waterfront and the greater access to the watershed for smaller crafts.’
Wynn has also had to clear several legal challenges having won the race for a state gaming license by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission in late 2014, including legal cases brought by the City of Boston, the City of Somerville and the City of Revere, who sued the gaming commission after its competing Mohegan Sun project lost out in the race.
The ultimate permit approval will be made by DEP Commissioner Martin Suuberg in the next few weeks.
Wynn Resorts said: “We are looking forward to the commissioner’s final sign-off and commencing full construction of our project.”
