Environmental hazards, flood and water records in New Bedford, MA
Public environmental, infrastructure and surveillance records inside New Bedford's municipal boundary, plus the regional air, drinking-water, flood, radon and Superfund context that does not stop at the town line. Each item links to its original record. Nothing here is a risk score.
Explore New Bedford on the map ↗ Check a specific address in New Bedford See a sample brief
Check the specific Superfund site and its restrictions
For a property near Sullivan’s Ledge, ask EPA for the latest site review, monitoring maps and land-use restrictions. A mapped NPL site does not establish that an adjacent parcel is contaminated or that a cleanup boundary follows the search circle.
Sullivan's Ledge · Source status: NPL Site · listed 09/21/1984
Source-backed investigation note · explanation updated September 14, 2026. Record dates remain those of the linked source.
Who to ask in New Bedford
Start with New Bedford's health department for local environmental questions, the conservation office for wetlands and local flood records, and the building department for parcel-related permits. Find New Bedford's official department directory ↗.
For drinking water, confirm the household connection and ask the listed supplier for its latest water-quality report: CITY OF NEW BEDFORD DPI. See the dated results and boundary limitations below.
Counts are records inside the municipal boundary, not unique facilities and not a ranking. Sources carry different dates (June 2024 for MassDEP waste layers, TRI 2024, OpenStreetMap Sept 2026). Community-mapped items are unverified. No record does not prove absence.
Records inside New Bedford
The most consequential categories first. Open a record for its EPA compliance history, reported chemicals, what the record can and cannot tell you, and who to ask next.
Incinerators Agency record
Superfund sites Agency record
- Sullivan's Ledge NPL Site
Landfills Agency record
Hazardous-waste facilities Agency compliance record
- SEA WATCH INTERNATIONAL LTD Significant non-complier
Industrial reporting Facility self-report + EPA compliance
- ACUSHNET CO BALL PLANT III Carcinogen-flagged air release
- ROTHTEC ENGRAVING CORP Carcinogen-flagged air release
- ACUSHNET CO
- ACUSHNET RUBBER CO D/B/A PRECIX INC.
- AFC CABLE SYSTEMS
- AMETEK AEGIS
- ATKORE INTERNATIONAL
- ULBRICH PRECISION ALLOYS LLC
Cleanup sites Agency record
- 184 UNION @ PURCHASE
- 4 WRIGHT ST.
- A.W. MARTIN
- AEROVOX
- AEROVOX INC
- ASSESSOR'S MAP 42 LOTS 274 AND 178
- BUTTONWOOD SERVICE STATION
- CLEAN UNIFORMS AND MORE
+ 34 more on the map.
Transfer stations Agency record
- NEW BEDFORD TRANSFER STATION
Transmission lines Archived geometry
- 115 kV transmission line
- 115 kV transmission line
- 115 kV transmission line
Communications Community mapped
- Communications tower / antenna
- Communications tower / antenna
- Communications tower / antenna
- Communications tower / antenna
- Communications tower / antenna
- Communications tower / antenna
- Communications tower / antenna
- Communications tower / antenna
+ 2 more on the map.
Mapped cameras Community mapped
- Mapped camera
- Mapped camera
- Plate reader
- Plate reader
- Plate reader
- Plate reader
- Plate reader
- Plate reader
+ 1 more on the map.
Beyond the town line
Air pollution follows wind and stack height, water comes from wherever the supplier draws it, and a Superfund plume ignores municipal boundaries. These items are searched from the town's center across state lines.
Incinerators within 30 miles
- ZE GEN
- FALL RIVER DPW INCINERATOR
- SEMASS PARTNERSHIP
- MSW POWER CORP
A 30-mile extent is EPA's air-modeling distance for toxic releases, used here as a search limit, not a danger radius.
Superfund sites within 10 miles
Largest reported air releases within 30 miles
- NORKING CO INC
- CPS TECHNOLOGIES CORP
- ACUSHNET CO BALL PLANT II
- GENERAL DYNAMICS ELECTRIC BOAT CORP
- COVALENCE SPECIALTY ADHESIVES LLC
- CANAL GENERATING LLC
Pounds are facility self-reports, not concentrations in New Bedford, and chemicals differ widely in toxicity. How to read TRI and ECHO records ↗
Drinking water, radon, air quality, flood
Community water systems serving New Bedford
- CITY OF NEW BEDFORD DPI No health-based violations since 2021-01-01
Boundaries are estimates and do not verify a household connection. Sample results are at treatment or entry points, not at a tap. Drinking-water questions to ask ↗ · PFAS explained ↗
Radon, particle pollution, flood
Radon: Bristol County is EPA Zone 2, moderate predicted potential (2–4 pCi/L). EPA says the zone map must not be used to decide whether to test; homes in every zone have measured high levels. Testing guidance ↗
Fine particles (PM2.5): nearest regulatory monitor FALL RIVER (Fall River, MA, 11.6 mi) measured a 2025 annual mean of 5.4 µg/m³; the annual standard adopted in 2024 is 9.0 µg/m³ on a three-year design value. A monitor reports its own location, not New Bedford.
Flood: FEMA flood zones are point-specific. Use the map to query the National Flood Hazard Layer live at an address. Flood questions to ask ↗
Major roads: 215 mapped motorway, trunk or primary segments cross New Bedford. Road proximity is a cue for traffic noise and emissions, not a measurement. More ↗
Documented surveillance technology in New Bedford
Agency-level records from the EFF Atlas of Surveillance. These describe documented technology use, not device locations or current operation.
- New Bedford Police Department · Body-worn Cameras
- New Bedford Police Department · Camera Registry
- New Bedford Police Department · Gunshot Detection · ShotSpotter
- New Bedford Police Department · Third-party Investigative Platforms · SoundThinking
- New Bedford Police Department · Automated License Plate Readers · Flock Safety
Do not use registry information to commit a crime, harass anyone or engage in illegal discrimination. Massachusetts law prohibits these uses. These town totals are not individual background checks or eligibility decisions.
Sex offender registry information in New Bedford, Massachusetts
330 registered people in the historical city total published for New Bedford in the table labeled 2024. This is not a current count or a count within your address search radius.
For current public records, open the official Massachusetts registry search and select New Bedford.
Published municipal totals are not a crime rate or safety rating. The city table does not separate registry classifications and is not equivalent to public online search counts. Read the registry coverage guide.
Table labeled 2024 · source date as printed: August 5, 2024 · Official report, Table 7, page 24.
Questions worth asking before you commit
Compiled from the guides for the record types actually present in or near New Bedford.
Environmental regulator
Request the current air permit, recent stack tests and any published dispersion study. (Incinerators & waste-to-energy)
Ask whether nearby private wells or indoor air have been sampled and what the results were. (Superfund (National Priorities List) sites)
Request groundwater and gas monitoring, closure plans and any off-site migration findings. (Landfills & land-disposal sites)
Request the inspection reports behind the current violation and the corrective-action status. (Hazardous-waste facilities (RCRA))
Request the latest site investigation, plume maps, cleanup status and any activity/use limitations. (Cleanup sites & historic contamination)
Review chemical-specific emissions, inspections and the underlying documents for any violation. (Industrial releases & air-program facilities)
Facility operator
Which pollutants are monitored, how often, and are results public? (Incinerators & waste-to-energy)
Ask which wastes are handled, what monitoring is done and whether results are public. (Hazardous-waste facilities (RCRA))
Ask which emissions controls and monitoring apply to the relevant process. (Industrial releases & air-program facilities)
Local health department
Are there monitoring studies or investigated odor/air complaints for this area? (Incinerators & waste-to-energy)
EPA site manager / community involvement coordinator
Request the current site status, the operable-unit boundaries, plume maps and any five-year review findings. (Superfund (National Priorities List) sites)
Title professional
Check for recorded activity and use limitations or easements tied to the cleanup. (Superfund (National Priorities List) sites)
Water supplier / well professional
Confirm the drinking-water source and whether site-related contaminants have been tested. (Landfills & land-disposal sites)
Seller / inspector
Ask about recorded land-use restrictions and any environmental reports for the parcel. (Landfills & land-disposal sites)
Request environmental disclosures and maintenance records for any mitigation system. (Cleanup sites & historic contamination)
Check any tower lease/easement, lighting and generator-noise concerns. (Communications towers & antennas)
Confirm municipal water versus private well and request available water-quality and plumbing records. (Drinking water & groundwater)
For a private well, request PFAS test results or arrange a test with a certified laboratory. (PFAS in drinking water)
Request dated radon test results and any mitigation-system records. (Radon inside the home)
Request flood and water-intrusion history, drainage repairs and elevation documents. (Flood context)
Visit during rush hour and at night; assess window and ventilation conditions. (Major roads & traffic)
Local permitting department
Check operating hours, truck-route conditions and enforcement records. (Transfer stations & other waste facilities)
Seller / neighbors
Visit on a working weekday and ask about truck traffic, noise and odors. (Transfer stations & other waste facilities)
Qualified environmental professional
Determine whether site-specific vapor, soil or well testing is appropriate. (Cleanup sites & historic contamination)
Environmental professional
Look for a published dispersion or exposure assessment before interpreting personal risk. (Industrial releases & air-program facilities)
Title professional / utility
Confirm the recorded easement, access rights and restrictions on structures or vegetation. (Transmission lines)
Qualified field-measurement professional
If this is a concern, discuss appropriate measurements and their limitations. (Transmission lines)
Planning department / operator
Request the equipment description, siting permit and applicable RF compliance assessment. (Communications towers & antennas)
Agency / device operator
Request the current collection, retention, access and sharing policy. (Cameras, plate readers & privacy)
Agency records office
Ask for the deployment approval, contract, audit policy and oversight reports. (Cameras, plate readers & privacy)
Water supplier
Confirm service to the address and request the latest Consumer Confidence Report and relevant sampling results. (Drinking water & groundwater)
Ask for the most recent PFAS results, the treatment in place and the compliance schedule if a limit was exceeded. (PFAS in drinking water)
Certified laboratory / local health department
For a private well, discuss a testing panel appropriate to local conditions. (Drinking water & groundwater)
State drinking-water program
Ask whether the system is under a PFAS order and where the public notices are. (PFAS in drinking water)
Qualified radon professional
Arrange appropriate testing and discuss mitigation if results warrant it. (Radon inside the home)
Local floodplain administrator
Confirm the effective map, any map revisions and building-specific requirements. (Flood context)
Insurer
Obtain a property-specific flood insurance quote and coverage explanation. (Flood context)
Transportation department
Request recent traffic counts, truck routes and planned road changes. (Major roads & traffic)
Neighboring towns
Acushnet · Dartmouth · Fairhaven · Freetown
Sources: MassDEP solid waste (June 2024) and tier-classified sites, EPA TRI 2023–2024, EPA ECHO (retrieved 2026-10-03), EPA NPL, EPA AQS, EPA UCMR 5, EPA SDWIS, MassDEP water service areas, EPA radon zones, HIFLD, OpenStreetMap (ODbL), EFF Atlas of Surveillance (CC BY). Guidance reviewed 2026-09-13. Methodology and limits · Report a problem with a record.