Kim Kastens

Kim Kastens is a volunteer editor and writer for the Acton Exchange, and serves on the Acton News Initiative Board of Directors.
Wetlands

Acton’s Wetlands Still Protected

September 11, 2023
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On August 29, 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) weakened federal protections for wetlands by limiting which lands that are wet  qualify for protection under the Clean Water Act. The EPA’s new rules respond to a Supreme Court determination in the case of landowners in Idaho who wanted…
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Two maps side by side, each showing a dashed line extending from Rt2A to "existing sewer."

Options for sewering Great Road discussed

August 19, 2023
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At their August 16, 2023 meeting, Acton’s Water Resources Advisory Committee (WRAC) discussed and critiqued the July 2023 draft of the Great Road Wastewater Solutions report.  The report was commissioned by the town and prepared by environmental engineering firm Wright-Pierce for the purpose of providing “a technical basis…
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Photo of tree with species identified in Mandarin and English.

The Intersectional Environmentalist visits the Acton Arboretum

July 24, 2023
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This summer, Acton residents are joining together in the first annual Community Read, part of a program called “Stories Connect Us.” The book for this summer’s read is The Intersectional Environmentalist, by Leah Thomas. The author examines the intersection of environmentalism, racism, and privilege, and makes the case…
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Entrance to Acton Water District office

New Leadership at the Acton Water District Finance Committee

June 19, 2023
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Laboring in relative obscurity, the Acton Water District Finance Committee (AWD FinCom) grapples with tough problems and big price tags. Their work is becoming more complicated and possibly more consequential as the Water District faces escalating capital and operational costs to remove perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and…
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Blueback Herring

Will Migratory Fish Swim to Acton from the Atlantic?

May 29, 2023
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All the brooks and streams in Acton flow into the Assabet River, which flows into the Concord River, which flows into the Merrimack River, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean. At one time, migratory fish swam back and forth along this pathway. During the Industrial Revolution, many dams…
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Screenshot of Acton Exchange Mission Statement

Weigh in on what should be in an Acton newspaper

May 15, 2023
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There is an effort afoot to launch a new, weekly, non-partisan, non-profit newspaper in Acton. This effort began with members of the Acton-area League of Women Voters (AALWV), who participated in a statewide LWV project on the decline of local journalism. They learned of research documenting that when…
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