{"id":826,"date":"2021-08-07T20:43:29","date_gmt":"2021-08-07T20:43:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cleanthehousatonic.com\/?p=826"},"modified":"2023-10-10T11:24:53","modified_gmt":"2023-10-10T11:24:53","slug":"continuing-the-fight-for-a-fishable-swimmable-housatonic-river","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cleanthehousatonic.com\/?p=826","title":{"rendered":"Continuing The Fight For a Fishable, Swimmable Housatonic River"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>If you live within three miles of the Housatonic River, there is a good chance you are exposed to volatilized PCBs coming from the River. Dr. David Carpenter, one of the nation&#8217;s leading expert on the health effects of PCBs spoke recently in Lee, Massachusetts. For many years, we were told that the leading pathway for human exposure to PCBs, for those who weren&#8217;t working with PCB-contaminated oil, was through eating animal fats, from contaminated fish for example. But Dr. Carpenter&#8217;s recent research shows how inhalation &#8211; breathing in PCBs &#8211; is a major concern. Please watch:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Housatonic River Initiative Public Information Session, September 23, 2021\" width=\"625\" height=\"352\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UixGgBmITK0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>A Cleanup That\u2019s Arbitrary &amp; Capricious<\/b><\/p>\n<p><strong>What would you say if we told you that the latest cleanup decisions for the Housatonic River were arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion and, last but not least, contrary to law? That you can say the same thing about the Environmental Protection Agency\u2019s (EPA) decision to allow GE to build a massive PCB dump in Lee, Massachusetts.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>On March 5, 2021, three Boston attorneys made those claims on behalf of the Housatonic River Initiative (HRI) and the Housatonic Environmental Action League (HEAL) before the EPA\u2019s Environmental Appeals Board (EAB).<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Based in Berkshire County and Connecticut, HRI and HEAL are contesting the final cleanup decisions for the \u201cRest of River\u201d downstream from the confluence of the East and West Branches and two miles from the GE plant. The EAB is the last venue for trying to influence the cleanup decision within the EPA process. The last resort would be to contest the decision in federal court.<sup><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/sup><\/p>\n<p>We&#8217;re going to post copies of the HRI and HEAL brief and all the attachments that accompany the brief below so you can study them and make up you own mind:<\/p>\n<p>BRIEF OF HOUSATONIC RIVER INITIATIVE AND HOUSATONIC ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION LEAGUE FOR REVIEW OF 2020 REVISED FINAL PERMIT MODIFICATION TO THE 2016 RCRA PERMIT ISSUED TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY FOR REMEDIATION OF THE HOUSATONIC RIVER \u201cREST OF RIVER\u201d<br \/>\nMarch 5, 2021<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/cleanthehousatonic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Petitioners-HRI-HEAL-Brief-on-RCRA-Appeal-21-01-3-5-21-.pdf\">Petitioners HRI-HEAL Brief on RCRA Appeal 21-01 (3-5-21) #<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Attachment 1<br \/>\nPetitioners\u2019 Public Comments on the Draft 2020 Permit, filed September 18, 2020 (SEMS-649388), available at: https:\/\/semspub.epa.gov\/work\/01\/649388.pdf<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/cleanthehousatonic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/649388.pdf\">649388<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Attachment 2<br \/>\nHazardous Waste Program at EPA New England, Site Update (January 2011) (SEMS-477424) available at: https:\/\/semspub.epa.gov\/work\/01\/477424.pdf<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/cleanthehousatonic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/477424.pdf\">477424<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Attachment 3<br \/>\nMass. Exec. Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, \u201cDesignation of the Upper Housatonic River Area of Critical Environmental Concern located in portions of the Municipalities of Lee, Lenox, Pittsfield and Washington With Supporting Findings\u201d (Mar. 30, 2009), available at https:\/\/www.mass.gov\/files\/documents\/2016\/08\/up\/uhr-des.pdf<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/cleanthehousatonic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/uhr-des.pdf\">uhr-des<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Attachment 4<br \/>\nEPA Response Brief, In re GE, RCRA Appeal 16-01 (filed with EAB Feb. 14, 2017)<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/cleanthehousatonic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/4.-EPA-Response-Brief-in-RCRA-Appeal-16-01.pdf\">4. EPA Response Brief in RCRA Appeal 16-01<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Attachment 5<br \/>\nD. Scribner, \u201cGE Distributes Dollars to Influence River Debate, Berkshire Eagle (May 4, 2011), available at https:\/\/www.redcrownews.com\/pcbchronicles\/ge-distributes-dollars-to-influence-river-debate\/<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/cleanthehousatonic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/5.-Scribner-GE-Distributes-Dollars-to-Influence-Debate.pdf\">5. Scribner, GE Distributes Dollars to Influence Debate<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Attachment 6<br \/>\nDavid J. De Simone, PhD, Geological Evaluation of UDF Site<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/cleanthehousatonic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/6.-David-Desimone-Expert-Report.pdf\">6. David Desimone Expert Report<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Attachment 7<br \/>\nEPA Community Update (Aug. 2009), available at https:\/\/semspub.epa.gov\/work\/01\/456069.pdf<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/cleanthehousatonic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/7.-EPA-Community-Update-Aug.-2009.pdf\">7. EPA Community Update Aug. 2009<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Attachment 8<br \/>\nReport of Audrey A. Cole, Certified Real Estate Appraiser and Attorney and Statement of Janice Braim, Licensed Realtor<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/cleanthehousatonic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/8.-Report-of-Audrey-Cole-Statement-of-Janice-Braim.pdf\">8. Report of Audrey Cole- Statement of Janice Braim<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Attachment 9<br \/>\nStatement of Chris Young, Founder\/CTO of Biotech Restorations<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/cleanthehousatonic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/9.-Statement-of-Chris-Young-of-Biotech-Remediation.pdf\">9. Statement of Chris Young of Biotech Remediation<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Attachment 10<br \/>\nLetter from James Galligan, Senior Vice President-Thermal, TerraTherm<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/cleanthehousatonic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/10.-Letter-from-James-Galligan-of-TerraTherm.pdf\">10. Letter from James Galligan of TerraTherm<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Attachment 11<br \/>\nConfidential Hudson River Strategy Report (Jan. 17, 1991)<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/cleanthehousatonic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/11.-Confidential-Hudson-River-Strategy-Report.pdf\">11. Confidential Hudson River Strategy Report<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Attachment 12<br \/>\nEPA Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response Directive 9200.417P, \u201cUse of Monitored Natural Attenuation at Superfund, RCRA Corrective Action, and Underground Storage Tank Sites\u201d (1999)<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/cleanthehousatonic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/12.-EPA-Directive-on-Use-of-MNR-1999.pdf\">12. EPA Directive on Use of MNR 1999<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Attachment 13<br \/>\nEPA Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response Directive 9283.136, \u201cUse of Monitored Natural Attenuation for Inorganic Contaminants in Groundwater at Superfund Sites\u201d (2015)<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/cleanthehousatonic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/13.-EPA-Directive-on-Use-of-MNR-2015.pdf\">13. EPA Directive on Use of MNR 2015<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Attachment 14<br \/>\nDavid O. Carpenter, \u201cExposure to and health effects of volatile PCBs,\u201d Rev Environ Health 2015<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/cleanthehousatonic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/14.-Carpenter-Exposure-to-Health-Effects-of-Volatile-PCBs.pdf\">14. Carpenter, Exposure to Health Effects of Volatile PCBs<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Attachment 15<br \/>\nU.S. EPA Office of Research and Development, \u201cTechnical Protocol for Evaluating Natural Attenuation of Chlorinated Solvents in Ground Water, No. EPA\/600\/R-98\/128 at 1 (Sept. 1998)<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/cleanthehousatonic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/15.-EPA-Technical-Protocol-for-Evaluating-MNR-1998.pdf\">15. EPA Technical Protocol for Evaluating MNR 1998<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Attachment 16<br \/>\nAvatar Environmental, \u201cSediment PCB Data Summary for Connecticut\u201d (Mar. 23, 2015).<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/cleanthehousatonic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/16.-Sediment-PCB-Summary-for-Connecticut-.pdf\">16. Sediment PCB Summary for Connecticut<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Attachment 17<br \/>\nEPA Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response Doc. No. 9355.4-25, \u201cPerformance Monitoring of MNA Remedies for VOCs in Ground Water\u201d (Sept. 2003)<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/cleanthehousatonic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/17.-EPA-Guidance-for-Monitoring-MNA-Remedies-2003.pdf\">17. EPA Guidance for Monitoring MNA Remedies 2003<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Attachment 18<br \/>\nPublic Comments of Mickey Friedman, Member of Housatonic River Initiative (Sept. 2020)<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/cleanthehousatonic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/18.-Comments-of-Mickey-Friedman-of-HRI.pdf\">18. Comments of Mickey Friedman of HRI<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you live within three miles of the Housatonic River, there is a good chance you are exposed to volatilized PCBs coming from the River. Dr. David Carpenter, one of the nation&#8217;s leading expert on the health effects of PCBs spoke recently in Lee, Massachusetts. For many years, we were told that the leading pathway [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[10,11],"class_list":["post-826","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-housatonic-river","tag-stop-the-dump","tag-treat-dont-dump"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cleanthehousatonic.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/826","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cleanthehousatonic.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cleanthehousatonic.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cleanthehousatonic.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cleanthehousatonic.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=826"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/cleanthehousatonic.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/826\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":856,"href":"https:\/\/cleanthehousatonic.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/826\/revisions\/856"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cleanthehousatonic.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=826"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cleanthehousatonic.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=826"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cleanthehousatonic.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=826"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}