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  1. Home
  2. EPA Cleanups: GE-Pittsfield/Housatonic River Site
  3. Cleanup Areas in Focus

Housatonic River ½ Mile Removal of the GE-Pittsfield/Housatonic River Site

On this page:
  • Overview
  • Reports
  • Photos
On other pages:
  • Maps & Figures

Overview of the Housatonic River ½ Mile Removal

The Upper ½-Mile Reach Removal Action, which was completed in September 2002, addressed the contaminated riverbanks and sediments in the East Branch of the Housatonic River from the Newell Street Bridge to the Lyman Street Bridge. The comprehensive Consent Decree for Site cleanup required GE to perform this removal action, under EPA oversight, and to initiate construction activities in October 1999, shortly after lodging of the Consent Decree. (Appendix F to the Consent Decree is the EPA-approved Removal Action Work Plan for this reach of the River.)

Sediment and bank excavation was performed in the following manner. Sheet pile was driven in the middle of the river channel and the flow diverted to ½ of the river channel. Sections of the river were then dewatered and the "dry" sediment removed by conventional equipment (e.g., backhoes, cranes, etc.). Restoration of the riverbed included placement of a cap containing a silty sand sorptive layer, covered by an armored layer to return the riverbed to its existing elevation and as a substrate for restoration. Restoration included enhancing, where possible, instream and river bank habitat. During the excavation, non-aqueous phase liquid ("NAPL" or free product) was observed in sediment and in the river bank in several locations. At each of these locations, GE, under EPA oversight, removed the NAPL and NAPL-stained sediment down to a maximum depth of eleven feet, completed further bank soil excavation, and installed additional impermeable sheet pile walls to minimize the NAPL migration from the river bank. As a result of these actions, approximately 11,976 cubic yards of sediment and 6,700 cubic yards of bank soil were removed. The majority of the material was disposed of at the GE On-Plant Consolidation Areas at the GE facility, but sediment containing free product were disposed of at off-site facilities. The ½-Mile Reach cleanup was completed in September 2002.

GE submitted a Final Complete Report to EPA in January 2021. In February 2021, EPA issued an Approval Letter for the Final Completion Report along with a Certificate of Completion for the Upper ½-Mile Reach Removal Action.

In addition to the Consent Decree cleanup, EPA had directed cleanup at one heavily contaminated portion of the Upper ½ Mile Reach prior to the Consent Decree. In December 1996, EPA issued a Unilateral Administrative Order under the Superfund law to GE to remove highly contaminated sediment and bank soil in the area adjacent to GE's Building 68, which is on the banks of the River in the Upper ½ Mile Reach and was the location of a historic PCB spill. As a result, in 1997 and 1998 GE excavated and disposed of 5,000 cubic yards of heavily contaminated sediment (average PCB concentration of approximately 1,534 parts per million, or 'ppm') from a 550-foot section of the river and 2,230 cubic yards of heavily contaminated bank soil (average concentration of surficial soil of 720 ppm and average concentration of subsurface soil of 5,896 ppm) from a 170-foot stretch of the river bank. Sediment removal activities were performed "in the dry" by installing sheet pile into the river and diverting the flow of the river around the sheet pile, dewatering, and removing the sediment with standard excavating equipment.

GE is currently performing all required post-removal site control monitoring requirements for the Upper ½-Mile Reach.


Reports for the Housatonic River ½ Mile Removal

  • Upper ½-Mile Reach - Final Completion Report and Related Correspondence
  • Upper ½-Mile Reach Action Memorandum and Work Plan
  • Upper ½-Mile Reach Monthly Reports
  • Reports Related Source Control Activities Adjacent to the Upper ½-Mile Reach
  • Upper ½-Mile Reach Inspection Reports
  • Upper ½-Mile Reach Annual Monitoring Reports
  • Upper ½-Mile Reach - General Submittals, Reports and Correspondence

Photos of the Housatonic River ½ Mile Removal

[November 24, 1999] Excavation of contaminated sediments in Cell A.
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[December 7, 1999] Cell A: Placement of sediment backfill; silty-sand isolation layer, geotextile fabric and rip-rap visible.
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[December 7, 1999] Cell A: Placement of one-foot thick layer of rip-rap onto geotextile fabric.
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[December 21, 1999] Cell B: Excavation of contaminated sediments; removal of sediments via container lifted by crane.
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[December 23, 1999] Cell B - Excavation of sediments, GE Plant on right; Hibbard Playground on left
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[December 25, 1999] Cell B - Final grading of one-foot layer of rip-rap onto geotextile fabric.
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[December 25, 1999] Cell B - Restored river bottom.
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[January 11, 2000] Cell C - Stockpile of heavily contaminated sediments adjacent to permanent, impermeable, source control sheet pile.
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[January 11, 2000] Excavation of sediments with small excavator, removal of sediments with large excavator located on top of bank.
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[January 24, 2000] Cell C - Approximate one foot diameter pool of black DNAPL (or heavy oil) uncovered in Cell C.
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[January 28, 2000] Cell C - Excavation of sediments and bank soils.
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[January 28, 2000] Cell C - Initial attempt to remove DNAPL (or heavy oil) by excavation down to four feet.
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[February 4, 2000] Cell C - Backfill of sediments/banks adjacent to permanent, source control sheet pile. Bottom geotextile, sand, top geotextile, and rip-rap layers visible.
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[February 26, 2000] Cell C - Final restoration of river channel and bank; exclusive of plantings.
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[March 16, 2000] DNAPL saturated sediments stockpiled within the 'DNAPL' Cell.
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[March 31, 2000] 'DNAPL' Cell with bracing installed to allow for excavation to a depth of approximately nine feet; Taken prior to additional DNAPL excavation activities.
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[May 19, 2000] Cell F-1: South side of river looking upstream (East); Restoration complete.
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[May 24, 2000] Cells A and C - North side of river looking upstream (East); Restoration complete including planting.
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[May 31, 2000] Cell G-1 - North side of the river looking upstream; Sediment excavation moving upstream.
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Looking south from Newell Street Bridge (the beginning of the 1/2-Mile Reach)
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[May 2013] View of 1/2 Mile reach North of Lyman Street
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[May 2013] Looking South from Newell Street Bridge (beginning of the 1/2-Mile Reach)
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EPA Cleanups: GE-Pittsfield/Housatonic River Site

  • Cleaning up the Housatonic
  • Understanding PCB Risks
  • Meetings and Events
  • Cleanup Areas in Focus
    • Allendale School
    • Floodplain Properties
    • Former Filled Oxbows
    • Housatonic River ½ Mile Removal
    • Housatonic River 1½ Mile
    • GE Plant Area
    • Groundwater
    • On-Plant Consolidation Areas
    • Silver Lake
    • Sitewide Documents
  • Rest of River
  • Cleanup Agreements
  • Area Resources
Contact Us About the GE-Pittsfield/Housatonic River Site
Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on June 20, 2024
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