EPA Invites the Public to Participate in Annual Cornell Pond Fishing Derby on September 20
BOSTON, MASS. (Sept. 8, 2025) – Registration is open for the biennial Cornell Pond Fishing Derby in North Dartmouth, Mass. The derby takes place at Cornell Pond on Saturday, September 20, between 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. ET., and is an important part of EPA's environmental monitoring program for the Re-Solve, Inc. Superfund Site.
The first twenty local fishermen who sign up will be able to participate in the fish monitoring event. Weston Solutions, Inc., will oversee the fishing derby and distribute awards for the largest fish caught. All participants over the age of 15 must have a current Massachusetts Fishing License to participate in the derby.
Cornell Pond is downstream of the Re-Solve, Inc. Superfund Site. The Cornell Pond Fishing Derby draws upon the expertise of the local community for the fish monitoring program, which is integral to the ongoing assessment of environmental conditions and improvement at the pond and Copicut River. Captured fish are taken to a lab to test for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in fish tissue.
The derby also helps to serve as a reminder for residents of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health fish advisory for Cornell Pond and the Copicut River that is still in effect due to elevated levels PCBs in fish. Catch and release fishing is permitted in the pond and river.
How to Participate:
To sign up for the fishing derby, please RSVP by Wednesday, September 17, to James Saylors, Weston Solutions, at (508) 998-4796.
To sign up for the Re-Solve, Inc. Superfund Site's mailing list or for more information about the site, please contact Elizabeth McCarthy, EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator, at (617) 918-1136 or mccarthy.elizabeth@epa.gov.
Background:
The Re-Solve, Inc. Superfund Site is located at 1275 North Hixville Road in North Dartmouth and was listed as a Superfund Site in 1983 when extensive PCB and volatile organic compound contamination was discovered in the soil and groundwater. A groundwater treatment system was installed in 1998 and continues to treat contaminated groundwater and prevent contamination from migrating from the site. In 2015, the treatment system was modified to include innovative anaerobic bioreactor beds and photovoltaic energy. The facility will operate until groundwater is cleaned to appropriate levels.
More information about the site is available at: www.epa.gov/superfund/resolve.