NEW BEDFORD — An informational meeting in New Bedford's North End Monday night shed a little more light on the proposed expansion of a city business.

Parallel Products of New England, located at 100 Duchaine Boulevard within the New Bedford Business Park, is looking to expand its footprint in order to process biosolids from wastewater treatment plants in addition to upgrading its equipment to handle larger volumes of plastic, aluminum and glass recycling.

Representatives of Parallel Products told those in attendance that the plan would bring in an estimated 200 trucks per day to the facility from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and materials would be processed 24 hours a day.

Residents expressed concerns with traffic volume and noise and odor pollution.

City Councilor at Large Linda Morad attended the meeting and says the processing of solid waste does not belong in the business park.

"We have wonderful manufacturing and retail/wholesale businesses in the park," said Morad, who called in to WBSM's Phil Paleologos Show on Tuesday. "We don't need any kind of — excuse my paraphrasing on this — dirty operation coming into the business park."

Councilor at Large Brian Gomes echoed those sentiments, saying the business park was intended for manufacturing and hi-tech companies.

"Not for a trash company, sludge — whatever it is — taking it from all over the Commonwealth. It shouldn't be located in the City of New Bedford," said Gomes during a call to WBSM's Chris McCarthy Show Tuesday. "New Bedford is not the brainchild and the test tube of ventures that business communities want to put [into place]."

Mayor Jon Mitchell also expressed displeasure with the information shared at Monday night's meeting.

"As I’ve said previously, the burden is on Parallel Products to demonstrate that their project will not harm the quality of life of far North End residents. Last night the company did little to advance their cause," said Mitchell in a written statement. "They again showed a level of presumptuousness and lack of responsiveness that will get them nowhere in New Bedford. Parallel needs to hit the reset button and go back to residents with a genuine commitment to address the legitimate concerns being raised.”

Another informational meeting on Parallel Product's proposal is scheduled for May 22 at the VFW Poirier Post on Appleton Street.

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