DEP: Plum Island residents must remove rocks meant to protect homes

NEWBURYPORT, Mass. (MyFoxBoston.com) – It's hard to fight the ocean, but residents of Plum Island are trying.

Some residents have hired contractors to build large rock piles to block their property from waves.

Residents have spent tens of thousands of dollars on these walls which they believed were legal; however, the state Department of Environmental Protection told Plum Island homeowners in a letter that the rock walls violate state regulations.

"You will be required to take necessary corrective actions once the threat of winter storms have abated," the letter read in part.

State Senator Minority Leader Bruce Tarr is from Gloucester and represents the residents of this area. Tarr says residents were told they could take matters into their own hands to save structures, but they were also told that any work would be subject to review.

The DEP and homeowners may end up in a battle over the rock walls, but most residents agree it's a battle they are willing to wage.

Cox Media Group