Easton Environmental Stewardship Committee Reorganizes, Names McCafferty as New Chair

Other Committee · Meeting of June 16, 2026

Easton's Environmental Stewardship Committee reorganized Monday and opened a push to regulate data centers before any facility can arrive unannounced. The committee voted 5-0 to name Carolyn McCafferty as chair effective July 1, replacing Christina Rufford, who has led the body for several years. In the meeting's most substantive discussion, members cited Mansfield's recently passed data center restrictions and an informal conversation between Rufford and Select Board member Jennifer Stacy as impetus to develop Easton's own framework, with concerns focused on water consumption during the current drought and a lack of any existing town ordinance.

Member Stephen argued against an outright ban, pointing to a Wall Street Journal report on Ireland's requirement that data centers supply their own power rather than drawing from the grid. The committee will skip July, reconvene August 18, and aims to brief the Select Board in September — a timeline that makes the November town meeting warrant deadline extremely tight.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,629 words

Source: the Other Committee meeting of June 16, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.