Paving to Begin on Adams' Howland Avenue This Week

ADAMS, Mass. — The Massachusetts Department of Transportation will be conducting daytime paving operations in Adams this week, starting from the rotary at Friend Street, north through Howland Avenue to the town line.  

The work is scheduled to begin on Monday, Oct. 24, and will continue daily until Friday, Oct. 28, from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day. Milling work on the roadway has been ongoing for several weeks, which has flattened the surface in preparation for paving. 

Before this work, the poor condition of Howland Avenue and other issues on the road, such as speeding and accidents, had become a focus for town officials. The deterioration had gotten so bad, most motorists stuck to the left lane to avoid patches and potholes on the righthand side. 

MassDOT announced its intention to resurface the road for the town in August. The town owns and maintains the Howland Avenue section of the highway, but did not have the necessary funding to resurface it. 

The resurfacing will not affect the estimated $6.5 million reconstruction project for Howland Avenue scheduled for 2028. In August, Town Administrator Jay Green said this resurfacing should keep the road in good condition until that project is ready to begin. 

"The idea is to get us, at least, all the way through until we can reduce the road size and execute our master plan for that road, which folks know we are undertaking," he said. "Our engineers are studying collecting public feedback about it and tweaking that design." 

The work will require temporary lane closures to allow crews to safely and efficiently conduct the repair operations. Travel will be allowed through the work zones. 

Appropriate signage, law enforcement details, and messaging will be in place to guide drivers through the work area. 

Drivers who are traveling through the affected areas should expect delays, reduce speed, and use caution. All scheduled work is weather dependent and/or may be impacted due to an emergency situation. 

Special Minerals Agrees to Pay Adams, River Groups Over River Discharge

Staff ReportsiBerkshires
02:58PM / Friday, May 03, 2024

Adams plans to use the $50,000 it will get in the consent decree toward the removal of the Peck's Road Dam. 

BOSTON — Specialty Minerals is expected to pay $299,000 for a discharge of calcium carbonate into the Hoosic River nearly three years ago in a consent decree with the Attorney General's Office. 

 

The river turned visibly white from Adams to the Vermont state line from the mineral that leaked out from the plant's settling ponds on Howland Avenue in November 2021. 

 

Calcium carbonate, also known as chalk or limestone, is not toxic to humans or animals. However, the sudden discoloration of the water alarmed local officials and environmentalists and prompted an emergency session of the Northern Berkshire Regional Emergency Planning Committee. 

 

"We allege that this company violated its permits, disregarded federal and state law, and put the Hoosic River — a resource cherished by the Adams community — at risk," said AG Andrea Campbell in a statement. "I am grateful for this collaboration with our state agency partners and committed to holding polluters accountable and working to bring resources back to communities disproportionately impacted by environmental harms."   

 

If approved by the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts, the consent decree will require Specialty Minerals to pay a total of $299,000, which includes payments to the town of Adams and three community groups in Northern Berkshire County that will be used to benefit water quality and prevent stormwater impacts. 

 

Once approved, most of the settlement would fund multiple projects to benefit water quality, including infrastructure improvements and native plantings to mitigate stormwater impacts in the Hoosic River Watershed. Specifically, the proposed settlement provides for: 

• $50,000 to the town of Adams for infrastructure improvements in a tributary of the Hoosic River
• $50,000 to Hoosic River Revival for stormwater mitigation projects  
• $50,000 to Hoosic River Watershed Association for a native plant garden and other projects to mitigate stormwater impacts and benefit water quality 
• $50,000 to Sonrisas to fund invasive plant removal and native plant habitat establishment at Finca Luna Búho, a community land project that centers the voices and prioritizes the decision-making of those living in marginalization. 

It will also provide $30,000 in civil assessments to the state's Natural Heritage Endangered Species Fund and $20,000 in civil penalties for violation of state law, as well as $49,000 to offset the costs of the AG's enforcement efforts.