Protestors Oppose Landfill Capping in Dartmouth

By Brianna Bigelow 11-04-13

image: CTSNow, Flickr

image: CTSNow, Flickr

Dartmouth residents are saying no to environmental toxins. A plan is in place to cap the local landfill. They fear capping its 1.5 million tons of contaminated soil will cause even more harm to the land and residents, alike.

Wearing red shirts and flashing signs reading “Don’t cap it, clean it,” the activists went directly to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s Boston offices last week to protest potential plans for the Cecil Smith landfill.

“[We] believe the site should be thoroughly tested first to understand the current level of contamination prior to discussing any corrective solutions,” said Gloria Bancroft, a founding member of South Coast Alliance for a Cleaner Tomorrow.

Commissioner Ken Kimmell said he was glad that the organization raised their voices. “The ultimate goal of MassDEP is to protect the environment and the public health in the areas surrounding the landfill. I appreciated the dialogue we had on this critical issue and look forward to working with the residents and other interested parties on a solution to the environmental concerns raised by this site.”

Kimmell is still in favor of capping the site.