Jul 17 2008
DOCUMENTS
THE ACEC
Ian A. Bowles, Secretary, Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, March 30, 2009 Press Release announcing the designation of the Upper Housatonic River ACEC. Download the Press Release.
Ian A. Bowles, Secretary, Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, March 30, 2009 designation document for the Upper Housatonic River ACEC. Download the document.
Ian A. Bowles, Secretary, Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, March 30, 2009 letter to Save The Housatonic. Download the letter.
You can read the entire Nomination of the Upper Housatonic River as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern, submitted by Save The Housatonic to Ian A. Bowles, Secretary, Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, August 29, 2008. Download the entire ACEC Nomination Document [180 pages, 26.7 MB]
You can read individual sections of the Nomination Document:
Cover Page [1.9 MB]
Letter from ACEC Nominators to Ian A. Bowles, Secretary, Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, August 29, 2008. [103.3 KB]
Photographs [7.8 MB]
Table of Contents; and Main Text [1.7 MB]
Appendix A.1 – Maps; and Appendix A.2 – Map Documentation [10 MB]
Appendix B – 1935 Panoramic View of October Mountain State Forest [2.2 MB]
Appendix C – Mass Audubon, Important Bird Area (IBA) Documentation [1.5 MB]
Appendix D – MA DFW, Fisheries and Wildlife Resources Relative to the Proposed ACEC Designation [1.5 MB]
Appendix E – MA DFW, NHESP, Biodiversity Information Regarding the Proposed ACEC Nomination Area [1.5 MB]
Appendix F – A History of the Upper Housatonic River Corridor, by Bernard A. Drew [1.6 MB]
Appendix G – Description of Public Outreach [5.8 MB]
Appendix H – Letters of Support [4.4 MB]
Acknowledgments; and References [1.5 MB]
The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife prepared a series of maps for the nomination of the Upper Housatonic River ACEC.
Download the ACEC Topo Map.
Download the Upper Housatonic Orthophoto Map – North.
Download the Upper Housatonic Orthophoto Map – South.
Download the Upper Housatonic Habitat and Wildlife Map.
Download the Upper Housatonic Water and Wetland Resources Map.
Download the Upper Housatonic Land Use Map.
Download the Upper Housatonic Protected Open Space Map.
Download the Upper Housatonic Forest Resources Map.
Download the ACEC FAQs.
Download the ACEC Guidelines.
Download the Guide to the ACEC.
Download the ACEC Regulations.
GE’S RESPONSE TO EPA
GE’s Response to EPA’s comments on the CMS Report – 03/2009
GE’S CORRECTIVE MEASURES STUDY REPORT – 09/2008
EPA has just completed a review of GE’s Corrective Measures Study (CMS). The CMS is GE’s evaluation of potentially applicable technologies and cleanup alternatives for the Rest of River. The goal is to reduce risk to human health and the environment from PCBs, and to prevent further downstream transport of PCBs.
EPA Comments on GE’s March 2008 Corrective Measures Study Report, September 9, 2008.
EPA Newsletter: EPA Requires GE to Revise Its Corrective Measures Study, September 2008.
EPA reply of July 7, 2008 to GE’s letter of June 16, 2008 regarding revision of CMS.
EPA letter to Ian Bowles, MA Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs about CMS, July 7. 2008.
GE Letter to EPA seeking delay in revision to CMS, June 16, 2008.
Ian Bowles, MA Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs letter to EPA about CMS, June 16, 2008.
Download the Summary of the CMS Report.
Download the entire CMS Report.
GE’s Cultural Resources Assessment for the Housatonic River – Rest of River Project, April 3, 2008. Download the Report.
Many interested parties offered written comments to the EPA in response to the CMS:
Berkshire Environmental Action Team.
Berkshire Natural Resources Council.
Berkshire Regional Planning Commission.
Citizen’s Group – Housatonic River Initiative Environmental Stewardship Concepts.
Housatonic Clean River Coalition.
Housatonic Environmental Action League.
Housatonic River Initiative, Dr. Peter DeFur.
Housatonic River Initiative.
Housatonic Valley Association.
Lenox Board of Selectmen.
Mass Audubon
MA Department of Conservation and Recreation.
MA Department of Environmental Protection.
MA Department of Fish and Game.
MA Department of Public Health.
MA Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.
MA State Senator Downing, MA State Representative Pignatelli and MA State Representative Speranzo.
Pittsfield Board of Health.
Pittsfield City Council.
Pittsfield City Councilor Kevin Sherman.
Pittsfield City Councilor Mike Ward.
Representative John W. Olver, 1st District Massachusetts.
Taconic Chapter of Trout Unlimited.
Trustees of Reservations.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife.
Download all the public comments. This is a very large file and may take some time to download.
EPA FACT SHEETS
Download the EPA Ecological Risk Assessment Fact Sheet.
Download the EPA Human Health Assessment Fact Sheet.
RCRA
Download EPA’s 2007 Revised RCRA Permit.
EPA ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF HOUSATONIC RIVER 09-2002
Download the document.
THE CONSENT DECREE
The Consent Decree is the comprehensive agreement negotiated by the EPA relating to the cleanup of GE’s Pittsfield facility, certain off-site properties and the Housatonic River. It is an agreement between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); U.S. Department of Justice; the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Office of the Attorney General and Executive Office of Environmental Affairs; the State of Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection and Office of the Attorney General; the U.S. Department of Interior; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; the City of Pittsfield; the Pittsfield Economic Development Authority and the General Electric Company (GE).
Download EPA’s Summary of the Consent Decree.
Download the Consent Decree.
Many members of the Berkshire Community responded to the Consent Decree with written comments.
Download EPA’s file of Public Comments.
The EPA filed written responses to a variety of concerns raised by the public comments.
Download EPA Response to Public Comments.
The EPA’s copy of the Housatonic River Initiative’s MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF MOTION TO INTERVENE is very difficult to read. One of the authors of the Memorandum provided us with a clean copy.
Download the HRI Memorandum.
In addition of HRI, several commercial property owners filed a challenge to the Consent Decree.
Download their Memorandum of Law in Opposition To Approval of the Consent Decree.
A Connecticut environmental group HEAL joined forces with the Schaghticoke Indian Tribe also filed to intervene.
Download the HEAL Memorandum.
The EPA responded in writing to the remaining parties.
Download the US Reply Memorandum.