When a big new development hits a small town, controversy frequently follows—and the  Ashland Rail Transit Apartments  are no exception.

In this particular case, though, the issue isn’t size. It’s the fact that the project is right next to the  Nyanza Superfund site , where toxic waste from the manufacture of dyes and pigments was dumped for decades, leading to a  cluster of lethal cancers . 

"It’s left a deep impact, deep scars on the community. It’s still a very emotional topic," says Michael Herbert, Ashland's town manager. "People lost their lives here because of Nyanza."  

Recently, Herbert and others in Ashland have grappled with a terrifying scenario: what if, as the Ashland Rail Transit Apartments are built, blasting from construction disturbs the adjacent Nyanza site, releasing dangerous chemicals that are still in the ground?

At first, Herbert says, it wasn’t a scenario the developer seemed to consider.

"When the proponent filed what’s known as an environmental impact report...it talked about blasting, but it didn’t talk about really a comprehensive overview of how that would affect the safety, how that would affect the environment," he tells WGBH News.

So the town of Ashland commissioned a  study  of the issue. The Environmental Protection Agency did, too. Both reached the same conclusion: any blasting from the new development won't disturb the Nyanza Superfund site, where 45,000 pounds of toxic sludge are contained by a protective cap made of plastic, gravel and clay. 

"We found that there is no issue related to blasting," Herbert says, "whether it’s going to disturb the cap itself or it’s going to affect groundwater flows.

That was welcome news to activist Cara Tirrell, who grew up witnessing Nyanza’s toll firsthand.

"In my class of eighty-five kids, five boys—one in the class before me—have died of cancer, or experienced a soft-tissue sarcoma which was concluded to be related to Nyanza," Tirrell says.

Tirrell used to oppose the Rail Transit Apartments. This spring, her group—the Ashland Citizens Action Committee—tried to  stop the project in court , arguing that the developer hadn’t addressed potential health risks.

But now, Tirrell says, she’s confident that construction can proceed safely.

"We didn’t stop this," she acknowledges. "But what we did is make sure the town and the different agencies are so involved now, and there’s some oversight."

Among other things, the town is requiring enhanced groundwater monitoring around the Nyanza site if blasting occurs during construction. In theory, that should identify any unexpected release of chemicals.

Not everyone in town shares Tirrell's sense of closure, however. 

Jon Fetherston chairs Ashland’s board of public health, and says reassurances from environmental regulators aren’t strong enough.

"They said do not anticipate—the key word is anticipate—any problems," Fetherston says.

Now, Fetherston adds, Ashland needs to be ready to respond to any unanticipated events. But he still seems to be hoping that something might derail project—like the town denying the developer’s request for a blasting permit.

I ask Fetherston if he'd choose to end the project if he had the authority to do so. 

"100 percent," he immediately replies. "100 percent, I would say that. Because you can’t put a price tag on human life."

But you can size up the risk involved in any scenario, and determine whether or not to proceed. In Ashland, at the moment, the answer is yes.