Army corps has 2year plan for pcb cleanup at stratford. Epa wants to reopen talks on ge cleanup the boston globe. Esc, llc forum sponsored by housatonic river initiative heal, beat, bl ec, hva, stop dumps, bnrc. The committee for the housatonic river clean up, inc. Its a fairly weak plan, said tim gray, the housatonic riverkeeper and executive director of the leebased housatonic river initiative.
Its watershed is just to the west of the watershed of the. The river now flows through a much harder substrate consisting of limestone, quart anzd granite, and the river bottom becomes much rockier. At this time it is unclear when the event will be rescheduled, but we are hopeful that we will still be able to hold our 32nd annual event during 2020. The housatonic river commission hrc is a regional planning board responsible for monitoring and advising the towns in northwest connecticut on issues that involve the housatonic river.
Ge and epa completed work along and in the two miles of river directly south of. Housatonic river cleanup, canceled due to the corona virus. Students this is a great way to get your community service hours. Cleanup events would have featured popular litter collections including the shelton lakes cleanup and the housatonic river cleanup. Environmental groups say epas housatonic river cleanup plan. Our 2020 event scheduled to take place on april 18th has been postponed. Housatonic valley association to hold annual auction.
Its watershed is just to the west of the watershed of the lower. The housatonic river initiative atlas project was begun in 2006 to create a comprehensive guide to the housatonic river watershed by posting a variety of information about included towns, lakes, and ponds, including static bathometric and topographic maps. Time series of 15minute daily values will not be available for retrieval following the 120day display period. Ge, massachusetts towns agree to more housatonic river cleanup.
Ge plans to dump on the berkshires with housatonic river cleanup by heather bellow friday, feb 26, 2016 news 5 lenox it was a window into a brief moment in the torturous, more than 20year battle to make a polluting corporate giant wipe up after itself and haul its poisons out of the berkshires. Ap federal environmental officials have unveiled a plan to speed the cleanup of the housatonic river in western. General electric was ordered to clean up the housatonic river, but now the plan may be scuttled by those who drafted it. September 2006 housatonic river, salisbury, ct executive summary the housatonic river commission hrc was created by the towns of canaan, cornwall, kent, new milford, north canaan, salisbury and sharon and held its first meeting in july 1979. Final cleanup plan issued for housatonic river project. Our 2019 event is scheduled to take place on april 27th from 82. Modification outlines requirements for ge to address contamination in river sediment, banks, floodplain soil and biota that pose unacceptable risks to human health and to the environment. Housatonic river outfitters 24 kent road po box 238 cornwall bridge, ct 06754 860. This site poses direct and indirect risks to both human and ecological health. Barbara cianfarini, a cofounder of citizens for pcb removal, stands at the confluence of the east and west branches of the housatonic river, where the first remidiation ends and the next phase of cleanup would begin. Environmental groups say epas housatonic river cleanup. Featured events are paid listings by users and receive priority placement on patch, on our social pages and in our daily. In areas of the housatonic river and its floodplain, pcbs in the sediment, soil and surface water pose an unacceptable risk to human health andor the environment.
Ap once a dumping ground for chemicals, a stretch of the housatonic river that winds near this berkshires hamlet is being scoured in a. It flows through the states of massachusetts and connecticut. Let the edge come to your inbox every morning, subscribe to our daily email update. I cant tell you how many times ive waited till the last possible minute to order crests for camp and i always getting them right in time. Join a cleanup or plan a cleanup in your neighborhood to remove litter from public spaces or waterways. The cleanup plan prescribed by the final permit modification relies on a combination of cleanup approaches that apply to specific reaches of the river, as described below. Ge challenges epas proposed cleanup plan for housatonic. The governmental agencies are considering a cleanup plan consisting of a combination of targeted soil and sedi. The still river slowmoving and meandering has been part of the western connecticut geography since a great glacial lake that covered the region drained away, leaving only. Housatonic river initiative working toward a fishable. The still river slowmoving and meandering has been part of the western connecticut geography since a great glacial lake that covered the region drained away, leaving only a river to poke. Tonik is a river, approximately 149 miles 240 km long, in western massachusetts and western connecticut in the united states.
Now, more than 20 years after the plant was shut down, the army corps has a plan to clean up the contamination in the drainage ditch and tidal flats between the plant and the housatonic river. Here is a timeline of the process leading to the housatonic rest of river cleanup settlement agreement. Environmental protection agencys new england office recently completed risk evaluations on human health and ecological impacts on. We encourage sheltonites to organize cleanups in their neighborhoods. Washington serious questions about the nature of the housatonic pcb cleanup were vigorously but civilly debated in washington d.
Rest of river 2020 settlement agreement settlement agreement pdf 48 pp, 6. The commission was formed in response to the us national park service recognizing this section of the housatonic as one with outstanding scenic, recreational. The housatonic river runs 140 miles from pittsfield, ma, through lee, great barrington and many other small communities on its way through connecticut to the long island sound. General electric and several stakeholders reached a deal this week on the next phase of cleaning up toxic waste from the housatonic river.
Apr 03, 2020 cleanup events would have featured popular litter collections including the shelton lakes cleanup and the housatonic river cleanup. Epa information on past and ongoing cleanup work of the housatonic river in western massachusetts and connecticut, including legal and technical documents. Great service, great customer support, fast and quick. The cleanup areas in pittsfield join numerous pcb sites throughout the.
The river actually starts in the green mountains of vermont and new york. Coronavirus doesnt stop shelton clean sweep pickup. The upper housatonic valley national heritage area is a designated national heritage area consisting of an 848squaremile 2,200 km 2 area in the watershed of the upper housatonic river, extending from kent, connecticut, to lanesborough, massachusetts, including eight towns in connecticut and eighteen in massachusetts. Housatonic river cleanup by mlmcewen, neighbor apr, 2014 7. But state mandates in place to mitigate virus spread restrict gatherings of more than five people, meaning these events, as originally conceived, are canceled. On november 11, 2016, governor malloy of connecticut applied for designation of the housatonic river under section 2aii of the wild and scenic rivers act. Working for a fishable, swimmable housatonic river since 1992. Epa seeks public input on proposed cleanup plan for the housatonic river rest of river project epa has completed a proposed cleanup plan to remove pcb contamination from the rest of river portion of the housatonic river, and the agency is. It has a large number of holdover trout that range from 12 to over 18 inches. Apr 16, 2019 stratford tax assessor melinda fonda, who will retire from the post april 26 to take a new job elsewhere, holds a tshirt for the annual housatonic river cleanup, scheduled for april 27. Pcb landfills can be avoided if epa cleanup plan for housatonic river is revised, appeals board rules.
Fly fishing the housatonic river in that area is a good as it gets. Notice the usgs water resources mission areas priority is to maintain the safety and wellbeing of our communities, including providing critical situational awareness in times of flooding in all 50 u. Bulls bridge is usually running anytime the river levels are listed at 1400 cfs or above. May 20, 20 stratford, ct aquarion helps with housatonic river cleanup. Epa issues final cleanup plan for the housatonic river. Boat ramp please contact us with questions or to register your group 20323314 i email. In 2015, after years of protests, lobbying, and drawnout government studies, general electric co. Agreement will help speed cleanup of the housatonic river. Apr, 2014 housatonic river cleanup by mlmcewen, neighbor apr, 2014 7.
Some consider it one of the best streams in the east. Aquarion helps with housatonic river cleanup stratford. Monitoring natural recovery in select reaches in the river. Housatonic river noaas damage assessment remediation and. The housatonic valley association supports the request from multiple. Housatonic river cleanup agreement is a pretty decent. Epa issues final cleanup plan for the housatonic river rest.
The consent decree provides for cleanup of the housatonic river and associated areas, cleanup of the general electric plant facility, environmental restoration of the housatonic river, compensation for natural resource damages, and. Housatonic river advisory fact sheet english 2 pp, 786 k, about pdf housatonic river advisory fact sheet spanish 2 pp, 747 k, about pdf cleanup agreements. The housatonic river is approximately 150 miles from its headwaters on the east branch in hinsdale, ma and flows through connecticut into long island sound. Upon learning of the chemicals ability to harm wildlife and human health, epa banned the production of pcbs in 1979. Boat ramp in stratford or the sunnyside boat ramp in shelton. It flows south to southeast, and drains about 1,950 square miles 5,100 km 2 of southwestern connecticut into long island sound. The river now flows through a much harder substrate consisting of limestone, quart anzd granite. Ge and epa completed work along and in the two miles of river directly south of the former ge plant in pittsfield, ma. The most popular section and the part that anglers mostly refer to when speaking of the trout fishing starts near west cornwall.
Environmental groups say epas housatonic river cleanup plan falls short. Patch naugatuck this threeyear project entails planting more than 2,000 native plants and restoring more than threeacres of habitat. Maps of the housatonic river housatonic pcb cleanup options. Epa awards 2019 environmental justice small grant for project in danbury, conn. Usgs current conditions for usgs 01199000 housatonic river at. Housatonic valley association clean water for life.
Aquarion helps with housatonic river cleanup stratford, ct. Ge challenges epas proposed cleanup plan for housatonic river, insisting on berkshire pcb landfills by mary douglas sunday, jun 11, 2017 news 11 washington serious questions about the nature of the housatonic pcb cleanup were vigorously but civilly debated in washington d. Epa seeks public input on proposed cleanup plan for the. Reading flows and trying to determine whether the housatonic is fishing well is a tricky business. Our hydrologic monitoring stations continue to send data in near realtime to nwisweb, and we are continuing critical water monitoring activities to. Without cleanup, it would take decades if not hundreds of years, before. D noaa assessment and restoration division noaa, co epa region 1 5 post office square ossr071 boston, ma 02109 617 9181499. Stratford, ct aquarion helps with housatonic river cleanup. Feb 26, 2016 ge plans to dump on the berkshires with housatonic river cleanup by heather bellow friday, feb 26, 2016 news 5 lenox it was a window into a brief moment in the torturous, more than 20year battle to make a polluting corporate giant wipe up after itself and haul its poisons out of the berkshires. Dear friend of the river, the committee for the housatonic river clean up, inc. The th annual clean sweep was to run the full week that includes earth day, april 22.
A timeline on the rest of river the berkshire eagle. It appears that beats web page has had only one minor update since 2006. Understanding pcb risks at the gepittsfieldhousatonic river site. Environmental protection agency epa has issued its final decision on its rest of river permit, which outlines a final cleanup plan for.
May 17, 2016 according to an article in the boston globe, ge said it is committed to a cleanup that would protect human health and the environment while minimizing impacts on the rivers ecosystem. This document is referred to as the final permit modification for rest of river. If you require an urgent shipment, please either add a comment to your order or call our office at 18873358904. The northern part of the housatonic river in massachusetts consist of the east and southwest branches. Landmark agreement will ensure faster and more complete cleanup of housatonic river in berkshire county. Housatonic river management plan dodson associates, ltd. While ge admits to its responsibility in the mess and has cleaned some of the area around the defunct pittsfield plant, the company continues to. If the past informs the future, landfills eventually leak. Stratford tax assessor melinda fonda, who will retire from the post april 26 to take a new job elsewhere, holds a tshirt for the annual. Patch tests performed with halowax and with the chloro diphenyls pcbs have yielded negative results. He requested that the river be managed and administered through the local housatonic river commission. At this level we usually hike back a mile on the appalachian trail on river right after the gorge because the river widens and gets very scratchy.
Agreement will help speed cleanup of the housatonic river ap news. Jul 26, 2010 the housatonic debate echoes an ongoing one involving the hudson river in new york, where ge is paying for the cleanup of pcbs that were discharged from plants at fort edward and hudson falls. Removing and capping pcbcontaminated sediment in select reaches in the housatonic river. Much of the problem solving is going to rely on ges ability to keep their promises as well as the epas enforcement of such promises. The housatonic river has been polluted for decades.
Ge, epa in dispute over federal plan to clean housatonic river. The 15minute precipitation and air temperature data for this station are temporary and will only be displayed for 120 days. Given the current state of the socalled solutions, the future of the housatonic river does not look bright. The settlement requires general electric to remove more pcbs from the housatonic river than the 2016 epa permit required. An angler who states that the the fishing on the housatonic is best between 400 and 800 cfs cubic feet per second is making too many assumptions. Fly fishing on the housatonic river tailwater in connecticut. The fun patch department will be working modified hours and shipping a few times a week until further notice. As the housatonic river moves into connecticut th,e valley changes dramatically th. The power station uses about cfs, so that would be 400 cfs. General electric company ge, which had a manufacturing facility in pittsfield, disposed of polychlorinated biphenyls pcbs in the. Usgs current conditions for usgs 01199000 housatonic. Housatonic river initiative, lenox dale, massachusetts.
Links to documents relative to the work of the housatonic river initiative. Ge plans to dump on the berkshires with housatonic river. Check it out, and we need your help to share it far and wide. Ge plans to dump on the berkshires with housatonic river cleanup.
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