MassDEP, U.S. EPA
to Host Virtual Public Meeting on Waste Site Cleanup Efforts at Bliss Corner
Dec. 2 Meeting Will
Update Dartmouth Residents on Bliss Corner Investigations
BOSTON – The
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 1 will host a virtual public
meeting on Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021, starting at 6:30 p.m. to update the public
on the waste site cleanup actions being taken at the Bliss Corner area within
the Town of Dartmouth. The Zoom meeting link and additional information
regarding the site can be found on MassDEP's Bliss Corner webpage (https://www.mass.gov/service-details/bliss-corner-neighborhood-dartmouth-ma).
During
the meeting, MassDEP will update residents on the investigations occurring in
the neighborhood over the last two years, with an emphasis on recent
investigations that have occurred since the last in-person public meeting was
held in October 2019. EPA Region 1 will provide an update on its
contamination removal action plan for a few homes where the investigation has
identified possible imminent hazard levels of lead and PCB impacts. At the
end of the presentation, the public will be allowed to ask questions of the state
and federal teams. At the conclusion of the meeting, the presentation
will be added to the online Bliss Corner page and there will also be contact
information there if the public has additional questions.
In the summer of 2018, MassDEP responded to a request from the
Town of Dartmouth to investigate potential environmental hazards in the Bliss
Corner area. In the fall of 2018, MassDEP received nuisance odor complaints
from a property owner during the development of a property in the Bliss
Corner neighborhood. MassDEP performed an inspection during which waste
material was observed in the shallow soil on certain residential properties,
including some lots being developed. The waste material observed typically
consisted of discolored soil containing broken glass, scrap metal, bricks,
shingles, and tar-like material. It is believed that historic dumping
activities dating back to at least the 1930s, prior to residential
development of this neighborhood, occurred there. The assessment of the waste
material is being conducted in accordance with the Massachusetts Contingency
Plan – the Commonwealth’s regulations governing the assessment and cleanup of
oil and hazardous material in the environment.
MassDEP’s mission is to protect and
enhance the Commonwealth’s natural resources – air, water and land – to
provide for the health, safety and welfare of all people, and a clean and
safe environment for future generations. In carrying out this mission, MassDEP
commits to address and advance environmental justice and equity for all
people of the Commonwealth, provide meaningful, inclusive opportunities for
people to participate in agency decisions that affect their lives, and ensure
a diverse workforce that reflects the communities served by the agency.
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