Christopher Markey, a Dartmouth resident, has been a State Representative since 2011 for the 9th Bristol District, which is made up of all of Dartmouth and a small portion of New Bedford closest to Hathaway Road.

Aside from representing the people of the district as a Democrat in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, Markey’s continued to practice law as as a trial attorney out of his New Bedford office. Chris and his wife, Michaela, have four children, with Clare (15) and Nora (14) currently attending Bishop Stang and Declan (12) and Bridget (10) at Dartmouth Middle School and DeMello School, respectively.

Editor Nick Walecka recently sat down for a chat with Markey, who touched on a variety of topics ranging from the Faunce Corner Road Construction Project to the ongoing saga that is the uncapped Cecil Smith Landfill on Old Fall River Road.

Nick: How is the Faunce Corner project going?

Chris: It’s going a lot faster than expected. One of the concerns is that it’s going so much faster that it’s going to cause traffic problems during the holidays. I know (the crews) are putting manual switches for the lights. (When work started) it was pretty horrible for a couple of weeks, but it got straightened out. The people with (the Dartmouth Mall) and surrounding areas were pleased with their response. They do most of their business between November 1 and December 1, and I want to make sure there aren’t any hiccups along the way.

Markey said he has plans to meet with representatives of the mall, local businesses and those involved with the project to help ensure that no major traffic issues will occur during the busy holiday season.

Nick: How has your time as the Chair of the House Committee on Ethics (which looks at rules and violations of members of the House of Representatives) gone?

Chris: My experience as prosecutor (with the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office) and a defense attorney are helpful. We look at legislation, ways we can tweak what we have as our ethics rules. Overall, I feel like I am someone who understand the criminal justice system . . . I have some concerns, and I can (address them) while being chairman of this committee.

Nick: What else have you been working on?

Chris: We’re trying to find a real solution to long term issues involved with capping landfills. We have a researcher looking into how we can prevent the stuff that’s happening in Dartmouth in the future. The currency that’s used is dirt, and if we can reduce the cost of that capping through the state, other sites become viable alternatives for covering landfills. That’s what you really need to focus on. If we’re really concerned with the environment, we need to make it economically sound for people to do it in a way that’s environmentally safe.

Nick: Is it difficult balancing all the aspects of your career with your personal life?

Chris: I’m usually in the (New Bedford) office between 6:30 and 7:15 a.m. By 9:15, I usually head up to Boston that way I miss most of the traffic. Then I head home either before or after rush hour, and I’ll stop by the office. We meet (with the House of Representatives) for formal sessions once or twice a week. But between kids and all that, it is doable.