GE/Housatonic River Site in New England

Residential Properties

Residential Fill Property Program

From the 1940s through the 1970s, General Electric (GE) gave away thousands of tons of fill from its facility to Pittsfield-area homeowners and contractors. In response to public concerns that the donated fill was potentially contaminated with PCBs, EPA and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MDEP) worked with the community and GE to identify properties that may have received contaminated fill. GE initiated sampling and soil removal activities at many of the identified residential fill sites in 1997. EPA and MDEP also undertook a sampling program to determine the presence of contamination at other residences suspected of having received contaminated fill.

In an effort to advise and inform the public about PCBs, MDEP and EPA jointly issued a fact sheet in August 1997 to the residents of Pittsfield. The fact sheet, presented in a question/answer format, was entitled "Residential Properties Which May Contain Contaminated Fill from the General Electric Company." This fact sheet responds to questions regarding the sampling efforts in residential areas.

On April 7, 1998, EPA, in response to numerous telephone requests from citizens, began a neighborhood canvassing effort to inform residents and answer questions about Berkshire County PCB cleanup activities. EPA focused on the Lakewood neighborhood which is nearest to the GE plant and where many residential properties were contaminated with PCBs. On April 21, 1998, EPA continued their canvassing efforts by conducting personal interviews with residents in neighborhoods where PCB contamination was found. The interviews helped to identify other potential properties to sample for PCBs.

From 1997 through 1999, 338 residential properties in Pittsfield were sampled for PCB contamination. PCB-contaminated fill was removed from 103 residential properties. GE's sampling and soil removal activities at potential residential fill sites are currently ongoing in the Pittsfield area under the supervision of the EPA and MDEP.

Contact information regarding the GE Housatonic River Site.