GE/Housatonic River Site in New England

Silver Lake

Mouseover map for close-up Map detailing GE Project in Pittsfield, Mass.

The Silver Lake Area is located immediately to the west of and across Silver Lake Boulevard from the 30s Building Complex RAA and includes the lake and its banks. Silver Lake has a surface area of approximately 26 acres and a maximum water depth of about 30 feet. It currently receives stormwater contributions from several municipal outfalls, a portion of the GE Plant Area (via NPDES-permitted outfalls), and a number of non-GE-owned properties (both commercial and residential). Silver Lake is hydraulically connected to the Housatonic River by a 48-inch diameter concrete conduit located near the intersection of Fenn Street and East Street. This conduit conveys intermittent discharge from Silver Lake and stormwater runoff from Fenn Street and East Street to the Housatonic River.

Silver Lake has a history of extensive contamination. PCBs have been detected in the lake's sediment, bank soils and surface water. Historic discharges of PCBs and other chemicals in process water and wastewater from GE's East Street Area II operations have been reported.

The Consent Decree requires that GE dredge 400 cyds of "hot spot" sediment adjacent to one of the historic GE outfalls, clean up contaminated bank soil, and place a cap on the entire bottom of the lake. Bench-Scale Testing and a 1-acre Pilot Study of capping techniques were completed in 2006. Sampling of the bank soil should be completed in 2007. Full-scale capping of the Lake is expected to begin in 2008, along with associated bank soil removal. More information and documents for Silver Lake are available under "The Site" on this Web site.

Contact information regarding the GE Housatonic River Site.