WCAI-FM

WCAI-FM NPR for the Cape, the Coast, and the Islands
60 Highfield Drive, Falmouth, MA Founded by local residents, the stations are a service of GBH Radio.
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The Cape and Islands NPR stations, WCAI 90.1, WNAN 91.1, and WZAI 94.3 are listener-supported public radio stations serving Cape Cod, Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, and the South Coast. We strive to celebrate the uniqueness of the communities that we serve while discussing common issues.

06/03/2026

Todays headlines from Gilda Geist on CAI.

06/02/2026

You know those meteorites that fell into Cape Cod Bay. NASA says it weighed the same as an adult elephant and was traveling over 40,000 miles an hour. Did you hear it, or even see it? We want to hear from you. Call our newsroom: 508 548-9600 ext. 5.

Video from R. Schott

06/01/2026

This mornings headlines from Sam Houghton on CAI!

05/28/2026

Todays news from Gilda Geist on CAI!

05/28/2026

Come out to the CAI station for our open house Saturday, June 13th from 12:30 - 4:30 PM! Be in the studio audience for the live broadcast of The Garden Lady with C.L. Fornari (seats are limited, so grab yours now!)
Sneak a peek behind the curtain and see exactly where the news happens.
Enjoy beautiful guided nature walks around the CAI grounds with Mark Faherty.
Discover interactive kiosks from local non-profits and enjoy free, delicious treats from local food purveyors. Get your tickets on our website!

It’s been six months since a state appeals officer determined that industrial wastewater from the Pilgrim Nuclear Power ...
05/27/2026

It’s been six months since a state appeals officer determined that industrial wastewater from the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth could not be released into Cape Cod Bay. But the ruling has yet to take effect.

An appeals officer’s ruling is merely a recommendation until Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bonnie Heiple finalizes the decision.

A spokesperson for the agency, Lauren Moreschi, said Heiple is reviewing the nearly 60-page document. Moreschi would not give a timeline for a decision.

Pilgrim’s parent company, Holtec International, is seeking to discharge the wastewater into the bay. Many of the contaminants in the water can be removed, but not all, including radioactive tritium.

The state appeal pertains only to non-radiological material, because radiological waste falls under the federal jurisdiction of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Holtec has said it will not discharge the water while the appeal is pending.

Local activists concerned about nuclear safety are hungry for the Department of Environmental Protection’s final word.

What was once more than 1 million gallons has fallen below 800,000 gallons as the water evaporates into the outdoor air.

The evaporation meets government limits, but some South Shore and Cape Cod residents worry it could present a health risk. They want the water shipped to a waste facility.

Heiple's decision may not be the last word on the issue. Once the state decision is finalized, Holtec can appeal in Superior Court.

🌐 Listen to the story from Jennette Barnes on our Website!

05/27/2026

Today's news from Gilda Geist on CAI!

05/22/2026

This weeks news with Gilda Geist from CAI!

🌐 Get these and more stories on our website!

Shark researchers have spent the past 15 years studying large white sharks that prey on seals along the beaches of the O...
05/20/2026

Shark researchers have spent the past 15 years studying large white sharks that prey on seals along the beaches of the Outer Cape. But this summer they’ll be spending some more time learning about juveniles that frequent Cape Cod Bay.

"As far as the Cape goes, it's really the next frontier for white shark research," Megan Winton, senior scientist at the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy said of the Bay.

In recent years, fishermen have been reporting an increasing number of small white sharks in Cape Cod Bay, under about nine feet long. Researchers tagged a small sample of 17 juvenile sharks in the Bay last summer and plan to expand their work there this season.

"What's really neat is they appear to be segregating from the larger white sharks," said Greg Skomal, state shark biologist for the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries. "Now larger white sharks will eat smaller ones. All right, that that can happen. And so you really don't want to be in an area where there's large white sharks if you're a small white shark. But what about Cape Cod Bay? What does Cape Cod Bay provide to these smaller white sharks? And is it critical habitat? Is it essential habitat? You know, should we designate it as such? And in order to do that, we really need to better understand their behavior in the Bay."

To answer those questions, scientists plan to tag young sharks to see where they go and what they do.

"We want to get a better understanding of this age/size group. And so we're going to spend a little bit more time in the Bay – get some tags out to look at, not only their residency in the Bay, their behavior in the Bay, and where they go after they leave the Bay," said Skomal.

Winton noted, among other technologies, they'll be using camera tags "to get a shark's eye view of exactly what they're doing in the Bay."

Listen to the story on our website!

05/16/2026

Four options to replace the Orleans rotary were unveiled Thursday night at a meeting at the Eastham Public Library.

Option 1 replaces the rotary with a single, small roundabout to the south of the present rotary, on the Route 6A side. It also removes part of Rock Harbor Road, on the northwest side — a change that would reconnect the land inside the rotary with other marshland.

To allow traffic from Rock Harbor Road to enter Route 6, Option 1 would likely require either a traffic light or a right-turn-only rule, said Doug Johnson, a program manager for the Department of Transportation.
Some members of the audience said that scenario would make it harder to get to Stop & Shop and other destinations on Route 6A from Rock Harbor Road.

Option 2 eliminates that issue but requires two roundabouts. Instead of a signal connecting Rock Harbor Road to Route 6, traffic would enter via a roundabout.

Both Options 1 and 2 would integrate the land in the center of the old rotary into adjacent salt marsh.
Option 3 leaves the shape of the old rotary in place, but provides marked lanes. Johnson said the state would install a larger culvert to improve water flow between the land inside the rotary and the nearby salt marsh.

Option 4, like Option 2, requires two roundabouts, but one of them would be in a different location, on the Route 6 East side heading toward Provincetown. Such a configuration would allow the full length of Rock Harbor Road to remain in place.

Listen to the full story by Jennette Barnes on our website!

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60 Highfield Drive
Falmouth, MA
02540

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