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A Weston property owner will pay up to $40,000 in penalties and restore wetlands after allegations that he illegally altered and destroyed protected areas on his property, according to a statement from Attorney General Maura Healey’s office. Alexander Anza also kept farm animals too close to brooks that flow into public water supply. His actions violated the state Wetlands Protection Act, Clean Waters Act and Safe Drinking Water Act.
Anza built a stone wall along the bank of Stony Brook in Weston, cleared trees and filled protected wetlands with rocks, gravel and wood chips to construct an expanded driveway. He also created livestock grazing areas and a staging ground for cleaning animal carcasses, the AG’s office found. Anza could have polluted Cherry and Stony brooks, which feed into the Stony Brook Reservoir, a water resource for Cambridge.
Anza removed the chickens, geese, cattle, sheep and pigs on the property and will restore the altered wetlands in accordance with a restoration plan approved by MassDEP. The settlement with the state also requires Anza to pay up to $40,000 in penalties to the state.
