Buzzards Bay Coalition Will Not Appeal AVX Settlement

 The Buzzards Bay Coalition will not appeal the $366-million settlement offered by the AVX Corporation to clean New Bedford Harbor. 

The Coalition initially said the settlement wasn't enough to fully complete the job.  However, the Coalition issued a statement on Tuesday, saying after looking at its legal options, the settlement will not be appealed.   

President Mark Rasmussen said there were several legal reasons; their case would become more narrowly defined in in the appeals court, and the court would not provide a forum to improve the quality of the cleanup.  Also, the appeal could take years, and during that time,  no work would be done to remove PCB's from the Harbor. 

The Coalition says it will continue to stand up against what it feels is inadaquate funding for the cleanup. 

Mayor Jon Mitchell is applauding the Coalition's decision.  Mitchell says while his and the Coalition's opinions on the settlement may vary, they both want the Harbor cleaned up in a timely fashion, and in a way that will make the Harbor more valuable to the community.