Rest Of River Group Says Cleanup Plan Is Too Small

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
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The Rest of the River working group met on Wednesday and discussed its stance on the EPA proposed cleanup.

STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — It started as a good idea — clean up the Housatonic River.

And then there was politics.

"I think there has been blatant politics from the top, in someone's office," said Nathaniel Karns, the executive director of Berkshire Regional Planning Commission who is a liaison with the six "Rest of the River" towns.
 
The U.S. EPA has proposed a cleanup that includes capping the PCBs left by General Electric. The cleanup is expected to last 15 years and impact the six communities from Pittsfield south along the river. Those communities say the cleanup itself is woefully inadequate because it leaves 75 percent of the pollutants behind.
 
"Looking across the country at comparable cleanups this leaves the most PCB concentration anywhere," said Pittsfield representative Jim McGrath at Wednesday's Rest of River working group meeting.
 
The coalition of towns is seeking to negotiate settlements with General Electric from the economic impact of which ever cleanup is ultimately decided. The committee members are preparing to submit comments to the EPA record as the federal agency works out a final procedure.
 
"How can you leave 75 percent of the stuff in the river and call it a cleanup?" said Lee Town Administrator Robert Nason.
 
After three years of debate about the extent of the cleanup, Nason said the public is now "exhausted." A public hearing Tuesday night drew only some 60 people.
 
"The public's response to this is somewhat underwhelming," Karns said.
 
Sheffield representative Rene Wood thought many people don't see a reason to participate at this stage. Before,  residents could advocate for more or less extensive cleanups. Now, they are just waiting to understand the impacts of such things as trucking.
 
"People are anxious about the impact of the cleanup as opposed to the degree of cleanup," Lenox Town Manager Christopher Ketchen said.
 
The Rest of the River committee is expected to take a similar stance as BRPC in calling for a much more extensive cleanup. They are expected to be joined by many environmental groups in submitting those comments.

Tags: cleanup,   GE,   Housatonic,   Rest of the River,   

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BCC Wins Grant for New Automatic External Defibrillator

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) is the recipient of a $2,326 grant, funded by the Healey-Driscoll Administration, for the purchase of an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) device. 
 
The grant specifically covers a device for use inside one of BCC's security vehicles for easy access when traversing the campus.  
 
In total, the Commonwealth awarded more than $165,000 in grant funding to 58 municipalities,
13 public colleges and universities, and nine nonprofits to purchase AEDs for emergency response vehicles. The program is designed to increase access to lifesaving equipment during medical emergencies, when every second matters.  
 
An AED is a medical device used to support people experiencing sudden cardiac arrest, which is the abrupt loss of heart function in a person who may or may not have been diagnosed with heart disease. An AED analyzes the patient's heart rhythm and, if necessary, delivers an electrical shock, or defibrillation, to help the heart re-establish an effective rhythm.  
 
"Immediate access to AEDs is vital to someone facing a medical crisis. By expanding availability statewide, we're equipping first responders with the necessary tools to provide lifesaving emergency care for patients," said Governor Maura Healey. "This essential equipment will enhance the medical response for cardiac patients across Massachusetts and improve outcomes during an emergency event."  
 
The funds were awarded through a competitive application process conducted by the Office of Grants and Research (OGR), a state agency that is part of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS).  
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