Housatonic Rest of River — General Electric Company (GE) dropped its 360-page document, the Upland Disposal Facility Site Preparation Supplemental Information Package, on October 8, with the compilation referencing how its contractor will prepare for the build out of a toxic waste repository as it remediates the Housatonic River. That segment of the Superfund project is set to begin as early as next month.
A copy of the submission can be found here.
The 12-plus-year remediation program stems from GE depositing the now-banned polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from its Pittsfield plant into the Housatonic River for decades, with those toxins used in its transformer production. A 2020 agreement between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), GE, and five affected towns provided the remedy that includes routing the materials with the highest toxicity out of the area while transporting the remaining lesser-contaminated dredged soil and sediment to a to-be-constructed upland disposal facility (UDF) in Lee, near October Mountain. The measure has long been opposed by Lee residents as a health hazard to the town’s citizens and way of life.
The Rest of River spans 125 miles from the confluence of the east and west branches of the Housatonic River in Pittsfield to Connecticut’s Long Island Sound, and the EPA is tasked with reviewing and approving all documents submitted in conjunction with the project, including the October 8 submission.
The revised Final Design Plan and Operation, Monitoring, and Maintenance Plan for the UDF was conditionally approved by the EPA in March. “The UDF site preparation work associated with this [document] represents the initial phase of construction work for the UDF,” the October 8 package states.
But those wishing to comment on the release do not have much time.
In its accompanying cover letter, the EPA stated it is “going through an expedited review process and will not be holding a formal public input period.”
“Stakeholders are welcome to submit their input on this document; however, EPA requests input be shared as soon as feasible,” the cover letter provides. “EPA plans on issuing a response to GE within the following week.”
The Plan
The October 8 document offers specifics on the method GE will be using to prepare the UDF site including delivering equipment and materials, clearing trees, altering the existing fence surrounding the project area, installing utilities to be needed for the system, and removing a former residence adjacent to the UDF site.
J. H. Maxymillian Inc. is named as the contractor, and plans for the overall construction of the UDF itself will be addressed in an upcoming document.
The package states that two temporary construction entrances to the UDF property will be created. The first access will be the project’s primary point of entry and stems from Woodland Road at the southern end of the site. An old house and barn will be demolished to make way for that entrance, with its drinking water well and septic tank being decommissioned once approvals and permits are obtained from the Tri-Town Health Department. A survey showed that the house lot structures contain asbestos, and the document details how those materials will be removed and transported off site.
The second access will be from Woodland Road toward the northern end of the site near the vernal pool area and limited to preparing that site only.
The primary truck routes used in the preparatory project will include Route 20, Walker Street, Mill Street, and Willow Hill Road, with construction-related traffic avoiding the Bradley Street and Woodland Road connection between Mill Street and Willow Hill Road.
The plan includes discussions surrounding safety protocols, dust control, traffic management, erosion control, stormwater management, equipment and material staging, and the establishment of temporary facilities, such as an office trailer and storage unit, to be used in the UDF site preparation.
The project also necessitates the creation of a new waterline on Woodland Road and running into the UDF site that will connect to an existing line near the October Mountain Campground entrance.
Timeline
According to the released package, the UDF site preparation work will begin on November 3 as preparation items are moved to the area, erosion controls created, and trees cleared. The required asbestos abatement and removal of associated waste in the existing house structures will occur before the buildings are demolished. Next, the two temporary construction entrances will be installed.
The tree-clearing activities are governed by potential adverse effects on roosting bats and must only be performed between November 1 and March 31.
Fencing work and utility additions are slated to start on November 10.
The waterline segment of the project will be coordinated with Lee and Lenox officials, and the fence work will begin once the tree clearing has been completed.
The preparation project is scheduled to end by January 2, but that date is subject to change due to weather and other factors.
