Public meeting on New Bedford Harbor Superfund Site scheduled for June 10

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold a virtual public meeting on Tuesday, June 10, 2025 from 6 pm -7:30 pm to update the community on the New Bedford Harbor cleanup work completed in 2024 and what is planned for 2025.

EPA will also present the draft seventh Explanation of Significant Differences (ESD7) proposing to modify the upper and lower harbor remedy (Operable Unit 1) for the Site.

Also, the Agency is seeking public comments on the draft ESD7 during the 30-day public comment period starting on June 11, 2025 and ending on July 10, 2025. 

The draft ESD7 assesses three proposed alternatives for addressing the first modification, regarding the sediment cap areas:

1. Incorporating the interim sediment caps as permanent elements of the upper and lower harbor remedy, combined with long-term monitoring and maintenance, and implementation of institutional controls to protect these caps over the long-term. (EPA’s Proposed Alternative),
2. Removal of the interim sediment caps and proceeding with the originally planned dredging and off-Site disposal remedy for these areas (using sheet piling and backfilling to protect abutting shoreline structures and to avoid deep side slopes as well as different/heavier equipment to deal with the extensive amounts of debris where present),
3. Removal of the interim sediment caps and adding select microorganisms to break down PCBs in sediment (in-situ bioaugmentation) at the ten sediment cap areas, combined with long-term monitoring and maintenance, and implementation of institutional controls at these areas.