image description
The Hoosic River, as seen here from Hunter's Foundry Road in North Adams, turned a greyish-white color on Tuesday due to the discharge of calcium carbonate.

Accidental Release of Calcium Carbonate Turns Hoosic River White

By Brian RhodesiBerkshires Staff
Print Story | Email Story

ADAMS, Mass — The Hoosic River turned a greyish-white color on Tuesday after the accidental release of calcium carbonate into the river. 

Following a discharge of the calcium carbonate into the settling ponds of the Specialty Minerals plant in Adams on Nov. 16, the river was visibly white from Adams to the Vermont state line. Calcium carbonate is not toxic to humans or animals. 

 

"The substance in the river is a common mineral found readily around the world in general, and specifically in the ground surrounding our plant in Adams Mass," said Michael Landau, director of corporate communications at SMI, in a statement to iBerkshires. "It is an inert, non-toxic and natural form of calcium carbonate, also known as chalk or limestone. Calcium carbonate is non-toxic and is often consumed by people or animals in food, medicines, or as an anti-acid." 

 

After hearing what had happened to the river, Town Administrator Jay Green arranged a meeting with the Northern Berkshire Regional Emergency Planning Committee and representatives from SMI, Adams, North Adams and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. Green said at Wednesday's Board of Selectmen meeting that he appreciated everyone who helped fix the situation. 

 

"I'd like to thank so many people this morning who showed up here," he said. "Chairman [John] Duval was here, Dr. [David] Rhoads from the Board of Health was here. Not only our paid staff, but some of our stipend folks, such as Chief [Richard] Kleiner, Mayor Tom Bernard appeared here, his staff, his Board of Health Chair [Northern Berkshire EMS] Chief John Meaney, was here. We had a really productive conversation." 

 

Green read a statement from the Northern Berkshire Regional Emergency Planning Committee at the meeting, which summarized the situation. 

 

"Specialty Minerals stated that they had a 'process upset' and immediately upon being discovered they shut down their operation until their settling ponds have cleared and treatment could meet their permit limits," the statement said. 

 

After taking samples, the state Department of Environmental Protection confirmed that the discharge did not pose a health risk to humans. MassDEP will continue sampling the water over the coming days. 

 

Landau said after discovering the calcium carbonate discharge, SMI employees contacted MassDEP and other relevant authorities. He said MassDEP staff have been on-site and will continue to monitor the situation. 

 

"The team acted quickly to ensure the release was contained shortly after occurring and has been conducting an investigation, with the support of the MassDEP, to identify the root cause of the release," he said. "This activity is also in compliance with our permitting requirement. As a result, we have ceased relevant operations until we can confirm the site is in compliance with all applicable permits. With respect to cleanup, we will be working with the MassDEP to determine any corrective actions necessary."

 

Rhoads said he is relieved that the incident did not release anything toxic into the river. 

 

"I totally appreciate Specialty Minerals and all of the efforts they take to get it right and to work with a town," he said. "I feel badly that they had this accident, but we're all working together to address the public awareness program, as well as how to prevent something like this from happening in the future, and I'm very happy that it was no hazard." 

 

NB-REPC said in its statement that the committee and Adams will continue monitoring the situation and provide updates. 


Tags: Hoosic River,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Hoosac Valley High School is Moving and Shaking

There have been some major shifts within the Hoosac Valley Regional School District recently, all of which have focused on enhancing the student experience to make it a place where ALL students can find their path.
 
In 2023, Hoosac Valley High School was designated an Innovation Pathway School by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and has since restructured the Program of Studies, utilized creative scheduling, and expanded internship opportunities. Part of this transformation includes participating in a "Portrait of a Graduate" cohort alongside four other Berkshire County schools to determine a collective vision for student success, in partnership with the BARR Foundation.
 
The Innovation Pathways at HVHS are designed to give students coursework and experience in a specific high-demand industry, such as technology, engineering, healthcare, or life sciences. Currently, Biomedical Science & Healthcare and Environmental Studies have received official state IP designation. In addition to the IP designated pathways, HVHS offers programs in Engineering & Technology, Business & Entrepreneurship, Arts & Entertainment, Education, and Sports Medicine. The result is that students have an opportunity for a transformative experience – enabling them to build essential skills, gain awareness of future career opportunities, and make informed choices about post-secondary education in promising fields.
 
Principal Colleen Byrd notes, "What makes our program special is that entry into the Pathway of your choice allows a student to access Advanced Placement and dual enrollment college courses, as well as internships in the community to set them up for success after high school."
 
The Portrait of a Graduate initiative consists of a team of Hoosac educators and students who exemplify the essential skills, practices, and beliefs that define learning experiences across the district. They work to outline the competencies, values, skills, and knowledge that define our vision for student success – keeping in mind that not every student's pathway will look the same. The District's goal is to ensure that all students graduate as responsible people, prepared individuals, lifelong learners, global citizens, critical thinkers, and thoughtful communicators.
 
Another recent change district-wide in grades K-12 is the "Crew" culture. Teachers and students now have time each day to create positive connections and build authentic relationships with one another. Through Responsive Classroom at the elementary school and Crew at the middle and high schools, students and staff gather for 30 minutes each day to engage in meaningful experiences rooted in mutual and shared interests. 
The Crew block is a prioritized structure that allows staff to support all students socially, emotionally, and academically – anchoring them and promoting the Portrait of a Graduate competencies. Crew takes many forms at the high school, such as gardening, bird watching, yoga, and sports talk with visits to college games.
 
View Full Story

More Adams Stories