Press Release  AG Campbell Reaches $200,000 Settlement With Framingham Equestrian Dressage Facility; Requires Restoration Of Wetlands

FRAMINGHAM — Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell announced today a settlement with Iron Horse Equestrian, LLC, Iron Horse Dressage, LLC (together, Iron Horse), and the companies’ manager over claims that they violated state environmental laws by constructing equestrian paddocks and a large outdoor horse dressage training arena over two streams and approximately half an acre of protected wetlands in Framingham. The impacted property, located in an environmental justice community, contains conservation land and abuts Callahan State Park, which provides important open space, public recreation trails, and wildlife habitat.  

The settlement, entered in Suffolk Superior Court on October 9, 2024, will require Iron Horse and their manager to pay up to $200,000, including up to $175,000 in civil penalties and $25,000 to fund projects that benefit water quality in the Sudbury Valley Watershed. The defendants will also be required to move the arena out of protected wetlands, restore the wetlands allegedly altered by construction of the arena, create new wetland resources in the surrounding area, and limit activities around Baiting Brook to preserve the integrity of the stream and nearby wetlands.   

“We allege that these defendants destroyed sensitive wetlands in a precious area cherished by the Framingham community,” said AG Campbell. “This settlement sets an important precedent: Those who violate our state environmental laws will be held accountable. I am grateful to my team and MassDEP’s Northeast Region wetlands program, as well as our partners in the City of Framingham, for working collaboratively to achieve this strong settlement.” 

“Wetlands serve so many critical functions – mitigating flood risk, storing carbon, filtering pollutants, and providing habitat for diverse wildlife,” said Commissioner Bonnie Heiple of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP).  “We are grateful to the Attorney General, the City of Framingham, and the Sudbury Valley Trustees for partnering with MassDEP to craft a settlement that restores and protects wetlands, while allowing the equestrian business to continue operations in a different configuration.” 

The settlement arose out of a September 2023 lawsuit filed by the Attorney General’s Office against Iron Horse, its manager, and its contractor Fields & Footings, LLC. The complaint alleges that the defendants violated the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act and the Massachusetts Clean Waters Act by building a 19,800 square foot equestrian dressage training arena and horse paddocks over vegetated wetlands, two streams, and buffer zones without obtaining state and local wetlands authorization or a water quality certification from MassDEP. According to the complaint, the defendants installed large metal culverts to divert Baiting Brook and one of its tributaries, buried the streams under boulders and other materials, installed permanent fencing, and removed vegetation around the structure. The Framingham Conservation Commission issued multiple enforcement orders instructing Iron Horse to cease and desist construction, and MassDEP subsequently issued an oral cease and desist order. Nevertheless, Iron Horse completed the arena and has been using it since July 2022. 

A January 2024 settlement separately resolved the Attorney General’s claims against the contractor Fields & Footings, LLC for its role in the alleged violations.  

This matter was handled by Deputy Chief Turner Smith of the AGO’s Energy and Environment Bureau and Assistant Attorney General Tracy Triplett and former Paralegal Gabrielle Allmendinger of the AGO’s Environmental Protection Division, along with Heidi Zisch, Elizabeth Sabounjian, Danielle Mucciarone, Jenna Pirrotta, and Julie McGrane of MassDEP’s Northeast Regional Office.

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