MassDEP Commissioner Burt to Host Crow Lane Landfill Meeting
as Part of Newburyport Visit on Tuesday

Residents Invited to Attend Crow Lane Meeting from 4-5:15 at Newburyport City Hall

The Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), Laurie Burt, will host a public meeting on the progress being made at the Crow Lane Landfill as part of a Commissioner's Visit to Newburyport on Tuesday, July 21.

Commissioner Burt will visit Plum Island at 2:30 p.m., host the Crow Lane Landfill meeting from 4 to 5:15 p.m. at Newburyport City Hall, and then join Governor Deval Patrick at his Newburyport Town Hall "listening tour" meeting in Waterfront Park at 6:30 p.m.

"The closure of the Crow Lane Landfill is a top priority for the MassDEP because nearby residents should not have to live with the disruptions that are caused by this facility," Burt said. "The recently negotiated court agreement will ensure that the landfill is closed by year's end. As that work continues, MassDEP will make sure that the landfill operator moves to mitigate any fugitive odors that arise during the final close down phase."

This spring, MassDEP and the Attorney General's office reached a settlement agreement with the landfill operator New Ventures to safely complete the landfill closure. The agreement allowed the closure to begin again in June, requires New Ventures to stop bringing material to the landfill by November 2009, and requires the final cap to be in place by December 2009.

The court settlement imposes a $230,000 penalty against New Ventures, although a portion of that penalty is subject to waiver if the landfill complies with the agreed-upon landfill closure schedule outlined in the consent judgment.

The public is invited to attend the commissioner's meeting on Crow Lane Landfill from 4 to 5:15 p.m. in the Council Chambers (upstairs auditorium) of Newburyport City Hall.

Commissioner Burt will also visit Plum Island at 2:30 p.m. to view the work that was completed there to shore up the beach areas from erosion.

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