Accidental Fire Damages Room at Freemen Center Shelter

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Firefighters doused what is described as an "accidental" fire on Tuesday afternoon that started in a closet of one of the Elizabeth Freeman Center's shelters. 
 
Two women who were in the house were taken to Berkshire Medical Center by County Ambulance for smoke and fire extinguisher inhalation and an ankle injury. 
 
The fire was reported at about 1 p.m. and caused minor damage to the floor of the closet along with smoke damage to the bedroom. Firefighters also broke a few doors to gain access to the room. 
 
All occupants were out of the building when the fire crews arrived and the alarm system had gone off. 
 
According to the report by Deputy Chief Neil Myers, one of the occupants had attempted to put out the blaze. 
 
"The shelter director advised us the occupant of the fire room smelled smoke and found the fire in the closet and immediately grabbed a dry chem extinguisher to put out the fire," he wrote. "This brave action stopped the fire from growing in size and placing additional risk on occupants and [firefighters]."
 
Three engines and Tower 1 responded to the scene to extinguish the fire, assist occupants with medical treatment, and checked for any extension of the fire and ventilated the building. The Fire Investigation unit determined it to be accidental. 
 
All staff and occupants were allowed to return to the residence with the exception of the fire room. 

Tags: structure fire,   

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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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