Town staff briefed the commission on a complaint of dumping into the riverfront area behind the Home Depot at 1415 Boston Providence Turnpike. Home Depot representatives told the commission they had largely cleaned the site, installed no-dumping signs, and placed a temporary fence while coordinating with corporate real estate on a taller, longer-term barrier.

Home Depot managers described field efforts and ongoing concerns: they said they had landscapers provide a quote for a permanent fence and that store-level managers lack authority to install long-term fencing without corporate approval. Store representatives noted customer behavior and access to the rear of the property as primary causes of the dumping and said they had removed large items, including a tire. “We spent 30,000 excavation going over and cleaning everything up, which you saw,” a store representative told the commission.

Town staff said the Board of Health became involved because of potential rodent issues; the Health Department later reported the site was satisfactory after the store’s cleanup. Commissioners and store staff discussed additional measures, such as improved guardrail screening and temporary erosion controls, and asked staff to keep following the situation.

The commission thanked the retailer for its responsiveness and asked staff to remain in contact about permanent mitigation measures.