Send Us Your Comments on the Proposed Revised Cleanup Plan for the Rest of River
Comment period for the Proposed Revised Cleanup Plan has closed.
EPA is accepting public comments during a formal comment period on the changes in the Proposed Revised Cleanup Plan. These changes are noted in redline/strikeout text in the Draft Revised 2020 Permit and further described in the 2020 Statement of Basis.
The comment period is currently slated to run from July 14 through September 18, 2020. During the formal comment period, EPA will accept written comments via mail, email, and fax. Additionally, verbal comments may be made during the formal Public Hearings scheduled for Wednesday, August 26, 2020 and Tuesday, September 15, 2020, during which all offered comments during the hearing will be recorded.
Provide EPA with your written comments about the Proposed Revised Cleanup Plan.
Please email (r1housatonic@epa.gov), fax (617-918-0028) or mail comments postmarked no later than September 18, 2020 to:
GE-Housatonic River Site Public Comments
EPA Region 1
5 Post Office Square (Mail Code SEMD-07-01)
Boston, MA 02109-3912
Provide EPA with oral comments via voicemail.
If you would like to make oral comments but cannot do so at one of the Hearings and/or do not have access to a computer for that purpose, EPA has also established a dedicated voice mail box where the public can submit comments of up to three minutes in length. Should you wish to leave a comment via voice mail, please call 617-918-1700 and follow the instructions.
Provide EPA with Comments at Virtual Public Hearings.
EPA will host three formal virtual Public Hearings to allow an opportunity to provide oral comments for the record. In order to adhere to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and state and local restrictions on large gatherings, these hearings will be conducted virtually and can be accessed on-line or via telephone.
The virtual Public Hearings will be held August 26, 2020 and on September 15, 2020. There will be two sessions on August 26: the first session will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and the second session from 6:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The third session on September 15, 2020 will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Each Public Hearing will begin immediately following a brief presentation which is available for viewing online ahead of time at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADM5xUkRFDA.
Members of the public who want to listen-only to the hearing do not need to pre-register. To listen on-line via Adobe Connect, follow the instructions below:
- Adobe Connect meeting attendees will open a browser and navigate to the virtual meeting room.
- You will be directed to a meeting page that will prompt you to enter your first and last name as a Guest. Enter your name, and then click 'Enter Room'.
- You will then be directed to the virtual meeting room.
- You should hear background music. If you don’t, check to see that your computer audio is on. (Note for members providing comments: Please mute your computer or phone audio when providing comments over the telephone to avoid background noise).
Closed Captioning services will be provided for users accessing the virtual public hearing via Adobe Connect.
Each Public Hearing will also be simulcast on local public access cable television. For Berkshire County, this will be on Channel 1303. (Broadcasting may also be available on other stations).
If you have specific needs for the public hearing, questions about accessing the event on-line, if you want to listen to the hearing via telephone only, rather than via on-line access, or have any other questions related to the comment period, please contact ZaNetta Purnell, EPA Region 1 - New England, Superfund Community Involvement, at 617-918-1306 or via email at purnell.zanetta@epa.gov
Note: For those experiencing technical difficulties online, the presentation is posted at epa.gov/ge-housatonic In addition, the Hearing will be recorded, and a transcript will be published on the above website at a later date.
For additional background information relating to the 2016 Permit and the Draft 2020 Permit Modification, see the following:
THE ADMINISTRATIVE RECORD INDEX FOR THE DRAFT REVISED 2020 PERMIT AND SELECTION OF REMEDIAL ACTION FOR THE HOUSATONIC RIVER "REST OF RIVER" IS AVAILABLE AT https://semspub.epa.gov/src/document/01/647212 AND THE COMPLETE ADMINISTRATIVE RECORD IS AT: https://semspub.epa.gov/src/collection/01/AR65885
- DRAFT REVISED 2020 PERMIT/PROPOSED REMEDIAL ACTION ON REST OF RIVER (pdf)
- 2020 STATEMENT OF BASIS FOR EPA'S PROPOSED REMEDIAL ACTION FOR THE HOUSATONIC RIVER "REST OF RIVER" (pdf)
- NEWS RELEASE: EPA SEEKS PUBLIC COMMENT ON PROPOSED PERMIT MODIFICATIONS TO ENHANCE AND SPEED UP CLEANUP OF HOUSATONIC RIVER (pdf)
- FACT SHEET: EPA SEEKS PUBLIC INPUT ON PROPOSED PERMIT MODIFCATION TO ENHANCE AND SPEED UP CLEANUP OF HOUSATONIC RIVER (pdf)
- FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON EPA’S PROPOSED REVISIONS TO THE REMEDIAL ACTION FOR THE HOUSATONIC RIVER "RIVER REST OF RIVER" (pdf)
- OUTLINE OF PROPOSED 2020 REVISIONS TO THE HOUSATONIC RIVER "REST OF RIVER" CLEANUP PLAN—TEXT VERSION (pdf)
- OUTLINE OF PROPOSED 2020 REVISIONS TO THE HOUSATONIC RIVER "REST OF RIVER" CLEANUP PLAN—AUDIO VERSION
- 2020 SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT FOR HOUSATONIC RIVER "REST OF RIVER" (pdf)
- 2016 FINAL PERMIT MODIFICATION AND SELECTION OF REMEDIAL ACTION FOR THE HOUSATONIC RIVER "REST OF RIVER" (pdf)
- 2016 FACT SHEET EPA RELEASES FINAL 2016 PERMIT FOR THE HOUSATONIC RIVER "REST OF RIVER" (pdf)
- 2014 STATEMENT OF BASIS FOR EPA'S PROPOSED REMEDIAL ACTION FOR THE HOUSATONIC RIVER "REST OF RIVER" (pdf)