NEW ENGLAND DISTRICT

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New England District holds day-long event in support of School To Careers' Bioengineering Symposium

USACE, New England District
Published June 19, 2017
Students tour the New Bedford Harbor Superfund Site for the day as part of the three day Bioengineering Symposium, April 19, 2017.

Students tour the New Bedford Harbor Superfund Site for the day as part of the three day Bioengineering Symposium, April 19, 2017.

The New England District once again collaborated with the Schools to Careers Partnership to sponsor a daylong event as part of the Program’s three-day Bioengineering Symposium, April 19.

“This is the second year the District has done a full site tour – last year we toured Muddy River – but this is the fourth year we have participated in the overall event,” said Mark Anderson, STEM Coordinator for the New England District.  “The first two years were just a USACE 101 discussion with the students.”

Twenty-two 10th and 11th grade students gave up some of their April vacation to attend the symposium.  The students came from a variety of schools to include Holbrook, Blue Hills Regional Technical, Avon, Canton, Dedham, Milton, Norwood and Randolph.

New England District team members started the day by meeting the students at the Blue Hill Regional Technical High School for a USACE 101 discussion.  “Following the briefing, students traveled to New Bedford, Massachusetts and received a tour of the entire New Bedford Harbor Superfund site before returning home,” said Anderson.

According to Anderson, the School to Careers Partnership event organizer, Katherine Touafek, said the students enjoyed their experience with the New England District team.  “She said the students were buzzing on the bus ride back to Canton,” he said.  “It was obvious the New Bedford Harbor Superfund story and the education and career path discussion at the end of the day struck a chord with them.”

Anderson praised the New England District, Environmental Protection Agency team, including Project Manager Ellen Iorio and Resident Engineer Kevin Coleman, for the positive experience they created for the students.  “They took time out of their day to impact the lives and future decisions of the students,” he said.  “They made the day a rousing success.”

The educational partnership agreement between the District and the School to Careers Partnership has been in place since July 28, 2014.  The agreement is one of several the District has with local educational institutions.  The partnership is in keeping with the Corps of Engineers objectives to shape the workforce of the future and to increase STEM and Wounded Warrior initiatives.


The Pawcatuck River Coastal Storm Risk Management Feasibility Study

   This proposed plan is presented  to facilitate public involvement in the review and commenting on the remedy selection process for the Nantucket Memorial Airport (NMA) Formerly Used Defense Site (FUDS.) 
    The Army Corps of Engineers is proposing a No Action under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act for the Munitions Response Site-1, Project Number D01MA049901 at NMA located on Nantucket Island, MA.  The proposal was prepared using the Guide to Preparing Superfund Proposed Plans, Records of Decision, and Other Remedy Selection Decision Documents (USEPA, 1999).
    The final decision for NMA Site-1 site will be made after reviewing and considering all information submitted during the public comment period. The proposed decision may be modified based on new information or public comments. The public is encouraged to review and comment on the proposed plan.
    The FUDS program addresses the potential explosives safety, health, and environmental issues resulting from past munitions use at former defense sites under the Department of Defense (DoD) Military Munitions Response Program, established by the U.S. Congress under the Defense Environmental Restoration Program.  
    FUDS only applies to properties that transferred from DoD before October 17, 1986 and the first priority of USACE is the protection of human health, safety, and the environment. 
    The Army is the executive agent for the FUDS Program, and USACE is the lead agency for investigation/reporting and remedial decision-making at this munitions site with regulatory support provided by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP).


Updated: 05 December 2016