DEDHAM. Mass. — MBTA officials will update residents tomorrow on the progress of cleanup efforts at the contaminated Readville rail yard, the Neponset Valley Daily News reports.
The 37-acre yard on Industrial Drive in Dedham and Readville was tainted with high levels of lead and arsenic but no longer an “imminent hazard” to the health of those who live and work nearby, MBTA officials said earlier this year.
Tomorrow’s meeting, scheduled for 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Town Hall, will feature a presentation of a newly completed comprehensive site assessment and response plan for removing train debris.
The state has accelerated the cleanup since Attorney General Thomas Reilly filed suit against the MBTA in October 2001 and won a court order forcing the agency to take several immediate steps to protect the public from the site. Key steps included covering highly contaminated soil with tarps and ensuring no vehicles or MBTA employees kick up dust inside the rail yard.
“I’m pleased with the progress. They’re moving in the right direction,” said Bob Coughlin, a selectman and state representative-elect who has served on a task force that has advocated for a speedy cleanup.
After agency officials maintained for months that Reilly’s lawsuit was baseless, newly appointed MBTA General Manager Michael Mulhern acknowledged at public meeting last February that the agency had indeed mishandled the situation.
“The MBTA could have and should have done more,” Mulhern said at the time. “Sometimes, it’s difficult to admit that you work for an agency that can’t seem to get out of its own way – but that’s exactly what was happening. I do understand that we have a credibility issue in the town.”
According to previously released soil tests, lead and arsenic contamination was still widespread throughout the site, but the highest concentrations were in restricted areas located furthest from residential properties.
Blood lead levels in children who live near the site are no higher than the state average and lung cancer incidences are lower than the state average, according to MBTA data.
A cache of environmental documents related to the cleanup are available for review at the Dedham Public Library.