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Utility workers replace a pole on West Street that was sheared off when an SUV hit it. The tracks of the SUV can be seen in the snow.

Car Shears Utility Pole Closing Pittsfield's West Street

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A portion of West Street is closed after a sport utility vehicle hit and broke a utility pole Wednesday morning.

Crews are currently working to clean up the area. The pole was broken into multiple pieces, some still attached to the wires.

There are no known injuries at the time and the area is not believed to have lost power.

Around 7 a.m., the Pittsfield Police Department received a report of a two-car accident in which one vehicle hit the pole. Unconfirmed posts on Facebook say one vehicle pulled out in front of the other, causing it to cross lanes and shear into the pole. 



"The pole got sheared down and some wires were down across West Street," Sgt. Shaun Gariepy reported.

The incident closed a section of West Street between Valentine Road and Nottingham Drive, with traffic directed down Valentine Road and Jason Street.

This story will be updated if more information is received.


Tags: motor vehicle accident,   utility pole,   

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MassDEP Talks Pollution Plans for Pontoosuc Lake

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The state Department of Environmental Protection has some options for restore a polluted Pontoosuc Lake back to health.
 
These were reviewed last Wednesday at a public information session.
 
Holly Brown, an analyst with MassDEP's Watershed Planning Program, said the lake is showing signs of nutrient pollution and eutrophication — a condition which promotes algae blooms, fish kills and dead zones — and cited recent algae blooms that resulted in public health advisories.
 
Matt Ladewig, principal scientist with TRC Companies of Windsor, Conn., explained the two different avenues Pittsfield and Lanesborough can take to help restore Pontoosuc Lake.
 
The two potential avenues include determining the lakes capacity for pollution (Total Maximum Daily Load) and developing a Nine Element Wastershed-based plan.
 
"The TMDL process is more formal and allocates pollutant loads to contributing point and non-point services in a way that will allow the water body to meet water quality standards," said Ladewig. 
 
A TMDL plan would identify the impairment, the causes and the pollutant load reductions. Following public comments, it would have to approved by the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection Agency to be eligible for grants. 
 
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