Public meeting scheduled to review remediation plans for Woods Pond area of GE-Pittsfield Housatonic River Site
BOSTON (Dec. 19, 2024) – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has scheduled a virtual public meeting on the Reach 6 (Woods Pond area) Remedial Design/Remedial Action (RD/RA) at the GE-Pittsfield/Housatonic River Site for Wednesday, January 15, 2025, from 6:30 – 8:30 PM on Zoom. The meeting will be completely virtual out of an abundance of caution for weather and any residual illnesses continuing from the holidays, and it will be recorded and posted to the website.
The link to the meeting is here and on the GE website:
https://usepa.zoomgov.com/j/1613982552?pwd=zlTgzqk0PpViqu6iHNHaEP9dSgPp0i.1
Meeting ID: 161 398 2552
Passcode: 30052177
GE will be presenting its remedial design for Reach 6 (including Woods Pond and Valley Mill Pond) followed by a question-and-answer period. GE will be removing sediment in Woods Pond up to 6 feet below the crest of Woods Pond Dam regardless of PCB levels, and an engineered cap comprised of an erosion protection layer, geotechnical filter layer, and chemical isolation layer will be placed to isolate any remaining contamination.
The primary human health risk drivers for the Rest of River cleanup are consumption of fish and direct contact with some floodplain soil along with ecological risk drivers. The proposed cleanup will also improve Woods Pond by increasing total water column depth allowing for greater community access and recreation.