Boston’s Big Dig soil helped turn a burning dump island into a park

 Boston’s massive Big Dig project produced more than 16 million cubic yards of soil, and nearly a quarter of it was sent to Spectacle Island in Boston Harbor. The island was once a city dump where methane gas caused underground fires. The soil helped cap the old landfill, reshape the island and support a long restoration effort that brought back trees, plants, birds and other wildlife. Boston’s massive Big Dig project produced more than 16 million cubic yards of soil, and nearly a quarter of it was sent to Spectacle Island in Boston Harbor. The island was once a city dump where methane gas caused underground fires. The soil helped cap the old landfill, reshape the island and support a long restoration effort that brought back trees, plants, birds and other wildlife.