News Releases from Region 01
Cornell Pond Fishing Derby in North Dartmouth, Mass. Scheduled for Sat. Sept. 14
BOSTON - Registration is open for the biennial Cornell Pond Fishing Derby in North Dartmouth, Mass. The derby takes place at Cornell Pond on Sat., Sept. 14 between 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.
The first twenty local fishermen who sign up will be able to participate in the fish monitoring event. Weston Solutions Inc., will oversee the fishing derby and distribute awards for the largest fish caught. All participants over the age of 15 must have a current Massachusetts Fishing License to participate in the derby.
Cormell Pond is downstream of the Re-Solve Inc. Superfund Site. This fishing derby is part of EPA's community outreach at the Re-Solve Inc. Superfund Site. The Cornell Pond Fishing Derby intends to keep the local community involved in the fish monitoring program, an essential part of the annual assessment of environmental conditions and improvement at the pond and Copicut River. The derby also helps to serve as a reminder for local residents of the MassDPH fish advisory that is still in effect.
Since 1988, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MassDPH) has maintained a fish advisory for Cornell Pond and the Copicut River due to elevated levels of PCBs in fish. Catch and release fishing is permitted in the pond and river.
The Re-Solve Inc. site is on North Hixville Road in North Dartmouth and was listed as a Superfund Site in 1983 when extensive PCB and volatile organic compounds were discovered in the soil and groundwater. A groundwater treatment system was installed in 1998 and continues to treat contaminated groundwater and prevents contamination from migrating from the site. In 2015, the treatment system was modified to a sustainable, green treatment system including an innovative Anaerobic BioReactor (ABR) beds and photovoltaic energy. The facility will operate until groundwater is cleaned to appropriate levels.
More Information:
- For registration, directions and any additional information please contact:
Michael O'Reilly, Environmental Coordinator for the Town of Dartmouth at (508) 910-1822;
Arthur Thibodeau, community fishing derby coordinator at (508) 678-5054; or
James Saylors, Weston Solutions, assistant fishing derby coordinator at (508) 998-4796. - Cleanup of the ReSolve Superfund site (https://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/superfund/resolve)