"Dreams Dashed on Contaminated Land"

"NEW BEDFORD — A Standard-Times photograph snapped at a groundbreaking ceremony for New Bedford High School on Jan. 17, 1970, captures the excitement surrounding the building of one of the state's largest and most modern high schools at that time. ... The festive group did not know the property contained industrial ash loaded with excessive levels of PCBs and other toxic chemicals, which local manufacturing companies dumped at the site between the 1930s and the 1970s."

Becky W. Evans reports for South Coast Today December 20, 2009.