Environmental Concerns Raised About Plans for Former Naval Facility

WEYMOUTH,MA-The US Environmental Protection Agency has expressed concern over the proposed mall and business complex planned for the former Naval facility here. The EPA has reservations about the impact the project will have on surrounding communities.

While the Office of Environmental Affairs in Massachusetts would not be specific about the plan because the project is in MEPA (Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act), Doug Pizzi, the office’s press secretary, did tell GlobeSt.com that “this is the largest commercial development in the state and it’s our job to make sure that the environmental impacts are mitigated.”

Officials at South Shore Tri Town Development Corp. are not concerned that this is going to affect their development plans for the 1,450-acre installation. “No one thinks this project is dead in the water,” Mary Cordeiro an administrative assistant at the company tells Globest.com. “We are going to address all the issues. We intend to satisfy every scope of work in the MEPA unit.”

Among the issues raised are the project’s impact on the local drinking water, the additional traffic that would be generated and air quality. Mills Corp. has proposed that a 155-acre section of the area be converted into a 1.1 million sf retail and entertainment complex. “I think the scoping document is perfectly reasonable,” David D’Onfrio, manager of corporate communications for the Virginia-based company. “There are issues that can be resolved. Nothing is going to dissuade us from moving forward.” Additional plans propose 1.4 million sf of research and development space, 700 units of senior housing and an 18-hole public golf course.

According to Cordeiro, Tri Town is currently involved in bidding out for a company to do the environmental impact report. The actual EIR process takes anywhere from 12 to 24 months. “Everything that will happen requires a permit from environmental regulators,” says Cordeiro.