Election 2009: Marciano Wants to Clean Up City Hall

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PITTSIFELD, Mass. — Mayoral candidate Mark Marciano has issued the following statement on his goals if elected and his reasons for running:

Fellow Resident,

If you are like me, you care deeply about "Our" Pittsfield. You care that "Our" families thrive. You care that that good careers are abundant. You care that "Our" businesses prosper. You feel that "Our" government works for us, "the people" — not the other way around.
 
That our schools are breeding grounds of leaders to lead our future nation, even our future world. That our streets are safe and no one feels threatened in their own home. We must encourage growth and stop goverment from reaching its sticky fingers into our hard-earned savings.
 
Our state is struggling in these tough times, and you can't help but wonder if our current government body is doing anything to help us in our pursuit to happiness. The current mayor and counselors are raising taxes and defending "hack holidays." Ethics violations and corruption has engulfed current town hall, and new policies get debated in secret, behind closed doors, out of the public view.
 
It's time for a new direction for Pittsfield. It's time to clean up the political mess in our government. The solution to the problems in Pittsfield is not new taxes or laws, the solution is new lawmakers.
 

I ask you to support me by electing me as your new, vibrant, ethical mayor for our city of Pittsfield, as well as help to clean out current councilors. There are a good number of councilor candidates dedicated to restoring good and efficient government, and this can only begin with changing the leadership and cleaning up the political mess on Allen Street.
 
As a resident, I have begun to focus on industry professionals with projects to create careers so we can take advantage of our great strengths, such as dedicated and impassioned activists, accomplished and willing volunteers, and a resonant message that rings true and clear with Pittsfield voters. You will hear more about this project in the weeks to come.
 
Together, we will grow this community from the grassroots up, building a strong base from which we can launch winning environments for all to enjoy. I will continue to be the voice for common sense and honesty in our Pittsfield. By promoting honest, hard-working residents and defending our values, the Mark Marciano Mayoral Party will try to deliver a brighter future to the residents of Pittsfield. We need to start now. Please allow me the honor and pleasure of serving you as your mayor.
 
We need city employees that exercise "CARE" — Courteous, Attentive, Respect and Enthusiasm — when it comes to the handling of our concerns as residents. I would use CARE as your mayor. I would also be the first mayor in the country to put Web cams in ALL City Hall offices and I would streamline City Hall so that it would be the consortium that would be open to the needs of our residents at their convenience.
 
Together we can accomplish many things. On Sept. 22, 2009, vote for Mark Marciano. I am No. 4 on the preliminary ballot. If you have any questions, you can reach me at 413-464-2494 or at manasotatap@yahoo.com.

Submitted by the Campaign to Elect Mark Marciano
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EPA Lays Out Draft Plan for PCB Remediation in Pittsfield

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

Ward 4 Councilor James Conant requested the meeting be held at Herberg Middle School as his ward will be most affected. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — U.S. The Environmental Protection Agency and General Electric have a preliminary plan to remediate polychlorinated biphenyls from the city's Rest of River stretch by 2032.

"We're going to implement the remedy, move on, and in five years we can be done with the majority of the issues in Pittsfield," Project Manager Dean Tagliaferro said during a hearing on Wednesday.

"The goal is to restore the (Housatonic) river, make the river an asset. Right now, it's a liability."

The PCB-polluted "Rest of River" stretches nearly 125 miles from the confluence of the East and West Branches of the river in Pittsfield to the end of Reach 16 just before Long Island Sound in Connecticut.  The city's five-mile reach, 5A, goes from the confluence to the wastewater treatment plant and includes river channels, banks, backwaters, and 325 acres of floodplains.

The event was held at Herberg Middle School, as Ward 4 Councilor James Conant wanted to ensure that the residents who will be most affected by the cleanup didn't have to travel far.

Conant emphasized that "nothing is set in actual stone" and it will not be solidified for many months.

In February 2020, the Rest of River settlement agreement that outlines the continued cleanup was signed by the U.S. EPA, GE, the state, the city of Pittsfield, the towns of Lenox, Lee, Stockbridge, Great Barrington, and Sheffield, and other interested parties.

Remediation has been in progress since the 1970s, including 27 cleanups. The remedy settled in 2020 includes the removal of one million cubic yards of contaminated sediment and floodplain soils, an 89 percent reduction of downstream transport of PCBs, an upland disposal facility located near Woods Pond (which has been contested by Southern Berkshire residents) as well as offsite disposal, and the removal of two dams.

The estimated cost is about $576 million and will take about 13 years to complete once construction begins.

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