Peterson Puritan Superfund Site OU2

The Peterson Puritan Landfill site was created by the dumping of garbage in the marshland along the eastern bank of the Blackstone River from the 1950s through the mid-1980s. Operations ceased in 1986 when serious environmental impacts were observed, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency took action to advance remediation of the site. BETA was hired in 2020 to assist the Town of Cumberland in the development of a reuse master plan for the site, allowing for the conveyance of ownership of the remediated landfill to the Town. The Town seeks to position the site as an asset rather than a liability for both the community and, more broadly, the region.

Situated in the John H Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, the re-use vision for the site has been developed by BETA into an over 60-acre master plan that includes a trailhead facility, visual and physical public access to the Blackstone River, hiking trails, a canoe launch, and a playground with adjacent multi-purpose court. The site will be connected with a mile-long shared-use path system that connects commercial and retail areas to nearby neighborhoods.