Public Meeting to Review Woods Pond Remediation Plans

02:18PM / Monday, December 30, 2024Print Story | Email Story

BOSTON — The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has scheduled a virtual public meeting on the Reach 6 (Woods Pond area) Remedial Design/Remedial Action (RD/RA) at the GE-Pittsfield/Housatonic River Site for Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, from 6:30 – 8:30 PM on Zoom.

The meeting will be completely virtual out of an abundance of caution for weather and any residual illnesses continuing from the holidays, and it will be recorded and posted to the website.

The link to the meeting is here and on the GE website:

https://usepa.zoomgov.com/j/1613982552?pwd=zlTgzqk0PpViqu6iHNHaEP9dSgPp0i.1

Meeting ID: 161 398 2552

Passcode: 30052177

GE will be presenting its remedial design for Reach 6 (including Woods Pond and Valley Mill Pond) followed by a question-and-answer period. GE will be removing sediment in Woods Pond up to 6 feet below the crest of Woods Pond Dam regardless of PCB levels, and an engineered cap comprised of an erosion protection layer, geotechnical filter layer, and chemical isolation layer will be placed to isolate any remaining contamination.

The primary human health risk drivers for the Rest of River cleanup are consumption of fish and direct contact with some floodplain soil along with ecological risk drivers. The proposed cleanup will also improve Woods Pond by increasing total water column depth allowing for greater community access and recreation.

Tags: Rest of the River,

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Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

12:05PM / Wednesday, December 24, 2025

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.

This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.

The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.

DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.

"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths.

"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."

Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.

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