TIVERTON -- Governor Carcieri has told the Bay Street neighborhood group dealing with suspected soil contamination that the state Department of Environmental Management is providing another $10,000 for technical assistance.
"This funding will ensure that ENACT of Tiverton has continued independent support as you evaluate complex environmental information related to the investigation of contamination in your community," Carcieri writes in an Aug. 16 letter to Gail Corvello, president of the North Tiverton group ENACT.
Consultant Fuss and O'Neill, which the DEM has used as a contractor before and which has essentially been assigned to work with ENACT, has been evaluating the often-complicated scientific information that the neighborhood confronts. Terrence Gray, an assistant director of the DEM, said Friday that the money, which comes out of the DEM operating budget, will let Fuss & O'Neill continue services.
"We went through the initial $10,000 this summer and ENACT requested that we allocate some additional funds because the work is still ongoing," said Gray. He added: "This is probably the number-one contaminated site on our agenda right now."
Residents of the area bordering Fall River are pushing for comprehensive soil testing and cleanup. New England Gas Co. has submitted testing proposals, and various parties involved -- including Fuss and O'Neill -- have weighed in on what they like and what they would like added to the soil testing plans.
"This was in consultation with the governor's office," said Jeff Neal, spokesman for Carcieri. "The governor's staff has met with residents of Tiverton in the past on this issue and will continue to be in touch with them. So this is a collaboration between the governor's office and [the] DEM."
To contact Mike McKinney, call (401) 277-7447 or e-mail at mmckinne [at] projo.com
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