Lynn's Pollution Map

Lynn: An Environmental Justice Community Under Threat

Lynn is a coastal city facing a serious environmental justice crisis, burdened by pollution from multiple sources. This map highlights some of the key contributors impacting our Lynn Harbor and Nahant Bay.

Key Pollution Hotspots:

• Win Waste Saugus Incinerator: 

  • Located in neighboring Saugus, this facility operates the only active unlined ash dump in the state of Massachusetts.

  • This outdated ash dump is leaching dangerous toxins – including mercury, cadmium, lead, and arsenic – directly into our sensitive salt marshes and Lynn Harbor.

  • The incinerator itself, the oldest of its kind in the nation, underperforms and releases harmful pollutants, disproportionately impacting the health and environment of our community.

• Lynn Water and Sewer Treatment Facility: 

  • The leachate collected from the toxic Win Waste ash dump is sent to the Lynn Water Treatment facility.

  • Alarmingly, this leachate contains heavy metals that are not fully removed or adequately treated before being discharged into Lynn Harbor, further contaminating our local waters.

• Stacey's Brook Sewage Outfall (King's Beach): 

  • Located on King's Beach, the most polluted beach in Massachusetts, the illegal Stacey's Brook sewage outfall spews raw sewage.

  • Even on dry days, this continuous pollution occurs due to a dangerous combination of broken pipes and illegal connections in both Lynn and Swampscott, posing a significant threat to public health and the coastal environment.

What This Means for Lynn:

These pollution sources have severe consequences for our community:

• Health Impacts: Exposure to heavy metals and raw sewage can lead to serious health problems.

• Environmental Damage: Our delicate salt marshes, harbor, and bay ecosystems are being poisoned.

• Environmental Injustice: Lynn, as an environmental justice community, unfairly bears the burden of pollution from sources both within and outside its borders.

• Economic Impacts: Polluted beaches and waterways can harm local tourism and recreation.
  
  

Join Us to Demand Action!

Explore the map to understand the specific locations of these pollution sources and learn how you can get involved in our efforts to demand accountability and environmental justice for our city.