Overview
- A pressurized sewer line broke near Haverhill during a late June storm, sending millions of gallons of wastewater into the Merrimack River and prompting beach and fisheries closures.
- The state ordered a 12-day emergency shellfish closure that covered large parts of the North Shore during the peak Fourth of July season, costing clammers and restaurants significant income.
- Governor Maura Healey announced a $300,000 relief program on July 10 that the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries would administer to affected harvesters and oyster growers.
- The latest step in the program came Monday when Healey handed out checks at Woodman’s of Essex and the state mailed the majority of payments to roughly 130 clammers across Salisbury, Newburyport, Newbury, Rowley, Ipswich, Essex, Gloucester and Rockport.
- Recipients can receive up to about $6,700 each and local officials say the funds help cover immediate losses but that longer-term fixes to wastewater infrastructure and possible federal aid remain key next steps.