Press Release: 2021-11-29

MassDEP, U.S. EPA to Host Virtual Public Meeting on Waste Site Cleanup Efforts at Bliss Corner

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 11/26/2021

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 the Bliss Corner webpage.

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.