July15,2020
DearFriend,
Housatonic River Remediation News! Please help us spread the word, so everyone in the
Housatonic River watershed knows that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has
releasedtheirnewpermit for remediationof theHousatonic"RestofRiver"downstreamofFred
GarnerParkinPittsfield.Thisnewpermitbuildsuponthe2016permit,sotherecanbenoback-
sliding from anything thatwas settled by the Environmental Appeals Board (EAB) in that 2016
permit.
EPA'sdetailedproposedmodificationstothe2016permit:
DraftRevised2020Permit
StatementofBasisthatoutlinesthechangesandtherationalefortheDraftRevised2020
Permit
ShortFactSheetSummaryofthisaction
OverviewofHousatonicRivercleanupeffort,andEPA'sproposedpermitmodifications
(PowerpointPresentation)
Please take some time to understand what has changed in this new permit and
comment to the EPA. The comment period currently runs until August 28, 2020. You can
commentbyemail([email protected]),fax(617-918-0028)ormailcommentspostmarkedno
laterthanAugust28,2020to:
GE-HousatonicRiverSitePublicComments
EPARegion1
5PostOfficeSquare(MailCodeSEMD-07-01)
Boston,MA02109-3912
TherewillbeavirtualPublicHearingonWednesday,August26,2020.EPAwillprovidea
briefoverviewoftheproposedpermitchanges,followedbyanopportunityforthepublictomake
commentsfortherecord.Thesecommentswillberecorded,transcribed,andincludedinthesite
Administrative Record. Written responses to comments will be included as part of EPA's final
permitdecision.DetailsabouthowtoparticipateinthevirtualformalPublicHearingwillbeposted
atthewebsitelistedabove.Readthepressreleasehere.
Thankyouforallyoudotoprotecttheenvironment,
Jane,Elia,Rose,Jake,Isabelle,Weyessa,andElizabeth
CLICKHEREtohelpsupportthisnewsletter.Thankyou!
InTheNews
3Berkshirewomensalutedas'heroines'ofpublicengagementDANNYJIN|THEBERKSHIREEAGLE
Three Berkshire residents are among those recognized in the Massachusetts Commission of the
Status of Women's Commonwealth Heroines Class of 2020. The honorees are: - Anne Nemetz-
Carlson,ofWilliamstown,recommendedbystateRep.JohnBarrettIII,D-NorthAdams;-CherylRose,
ofDalton,recommendedbystateRep.PaulMark,D-Peru;-JaneWinn,ofPittsfield,recommendedby
stateRep.TriciaFarley-Bouvier,D-Pittsfield.READMORE
BerkshireRegionalPlanningCommission,MillTownCapital
ReleaseCountywideOutdoorRecreationPlanJOSHLANDES|WAMC
TheBerkshireRegional PlanningCommission andprivate investment groupMill TownCapital have
releasedanewplantodeveloptheregion’soutdoorrecreationresources. Itcomesatatimewhen
manyofusareturningtooutdoorrecreationtogetthroughthepandemic.Thepartnersreleasedan
over200-pagereportonhowthecountycaninvestinitsnaturalofferings.READMOREorREADFULL
PLANHERE
HistoricloonhatchmarksamilestoneMARIONLARSON|MASSWILDLIFE
InearlyJuly,theMassachusettsDivisionofFisheriesandWildlife(MassWildlife)andtheBiodiversity
ResearchInstitute(BRI)confirmedthatacommonloonchickhatchedinFallRiverthisspring.Until
thisyear,loonshadnothatchedinsoutheasternMassachusettsinoveracentury!BRI,anon-profit
ecologicalresearchgroupbasedinMaine,hasbeenpartneringwithMassWildlifetorestorecommon
loons toMassachusetts.Thishistorichatchling isanexciting resultofamulti-year loon restoration
initiative.READMORE
Findmoreclimateandenergyarticlesfeaturedinthisweek'sNoFrackedGasinMass
WeeklyNewsCheck-In.Findthenewsandsubscribehere.
MassachusettsLiftsBanOnReusuableBagsDAVECOPELAND|PATCH
The139 cities and towns inMassachusettswith bans on single-shoppingbags can start enforcing
themagainafterthestate lifted itsemergencyorderonreusuableshoppingbagsFriday."This isa
homerun--goodfortheenvironment,forpublichealth,forreducingwaste,andforprotectingboth
workers and shoppers," MASSPIRG Executive Director Janet Domenitz said in a statement. READ
MORE
PandemicReachesAllPartsofTheGlobeIncludingUnderwaterLAURENSOMMER|NPR
Theglobalcoronaviruscrisishasleadtoadeclineinshiptrafficaroundtheworld,whichmeansthe
oceansarequieter.Thatcouldbeprovidingsomerelieftowhalesandothermarinemammals.LISTEN
HERE
‘It’sallonhold’:howCovid-19derailedthe
fightagainstplasticwasteERINMCCORMICK|THEGUARDIAN
2020wassupposedtobetheyearAmericarevoltedagainstplastic.Consumerswererefusingstraws
andtotingtheirowncoffeemugs.Legislatorshadproposedanunprecedentedwaveoflawstoban
single-useplastics.Evencompanies likeCokeandPepsiwereopeningup to the ideaplasticmight
notbethefuture.ThencametheCovid-19pandemic.Nowactivistsworrytheanti-plasticmovement
isonceagainbackinthetrenches.READMORE
IsThistheEndofNewPipelines?HIROKOTABUCHI&BRADPALMER|THENEWYORKTIMES
Theyareamongthenation’smostsignificantinfrastructureprojects:Morethan9,000milesofoiland
gaspipelines intheUnitedStatesarecurrentlybeingbuiltorexpanded,andanother12,500miles
havebeenapproved or announced— together, almost enough to circle the Earth.Now, however,
pipelineprojectslikethesearebeingchallengedasneverbeforeasprotestsspread,economicsshift,
environmentalists mount increasingly sophisticated legal attacks and more states seek to reduce
theiruseoffossilfuelstoaddressclimatechange.READMORE
KeepupwiththefightagainstfossilfuelsattheNoFrackedGasinMassNewsletter
SUBSCRIBEHERE
JOBS
Welistjobsrelatedtotheenvironmentfromavarietyoforganizations.
TrailCrewMember|BerkshireNaturalResourcesCouncil|Pittsfield(7/14)
BoardMember(s)|BerkshireConservationDistrict|BerkshireCounty-clicklink&scrolltoemailcontact
President|ColumbiaLandConservancy|Chatham,NY(6/9)
Cashiers,Cooks,Dishwashing,Prep|BascomLodge|Adams,MA(6/9)
YouthEducationCoordinator|MountGraceConservationLandTrust|Athol(5/25)
LandStewardshipCoordinator|MountGraceConservationLandTrust|Athol(5/25)
RegionalCollaborationCoordinator|CISA|S.Deerfield(5/25)
EnvironmentalAnalystIV|MassDEP|Worcester(5/11)
EnvironmentalAnalystIII|MassDEP|Worcester
DigitalOrganizer&CommunicationsSpecialist|350-MA|Cambridge(4/6)
COMMUNITYCALENDARWelisteventsfromavarietyoflocalandregionalorganizationsandindividuals.
BEATeventsareinbold.BerkshireCountyeventsarelistednorthtosouthbylocation,outofcounty
eventsarelistedalphabeticallybylocation.Submiteventstonews@thebeatnews.org.
WEDNESDAY,JULY15
ControllingUnderstoryFernCompetitionforRegenerationSuccess-Webinar
Huanglongbing&Asiancitruspsyllid:FirstDetectorWebcast
VirtualMeetandGreetwithMassWildlifeandBackcountryHuntersandAnglers
2050NetZeroRoadmapVirtualRally
THURSDAY,JULY16
SoilTheSolutionBeneathOurFeet-OnlineClass
i-TreeandtheUrbanForest-Webinar
CreatingandSupportingBiodiversityinOurLandscapes-Webinar
ARemarkableRestoration-Webinar
TheCircularEconomy:CreatingtheWorldWeWant-Webinar
ManagingJapaneseKnotweed-Webinar
ClimateStorytellingOnlineWorkshop-Webinar
SATURDAY,JULY18
StructuralPlantCombinations-OnlineClass
JULY20-31
Art+Science-OnlineClass
JULY20-AUGUST9
NOFASummerConference-Online
MONDAY,JULY20
OutWest:WesternMonarchConservationEfforts–Breeding/MigratoryHabitat
TUESDAY,JULY21
TurtleManofEgremont:JulyPittsfieldGreenDrinks-Online
UsingPlace-basedLearningtoTeachCulturally-Webinar
WhyShellfishGrowersareUrgingClimateAction-Webinar
TheBlackFarmerFund:CreatingPathwaystoLandAccess&FoodSovereigntyforBlackCommunities
-Webinar
WEDNESDAY,JULY22
ManagingEmeraldAshBorerandClimateChange-Webinar
AsianLonghornBeetle&EmeraldAshBorer:FirstDetectorWebcast
WetlandsProtectionAct:Fundamentals,process,procedures-Webinar
THURSDAY,JULY23
StateRegulationsPertainingtoInvasivePlantManagement-Webinar
TreesinTrouble-Webinar
FRIDAY,JULY24
DowntownPittsfieldSummerCleanup
CompleteCommunityCalendar
ENVIRONMENTALMONITORJuly8,2020
The Environmental Monitor provides information on projects under review by the Massachusetts
Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) office, recent MEPA decisions of the Secretary of Energy &
EnvironmentalAffairs,andpublicnoticesfromenvironmentalagencies.
BerkshireIndex
Stockbridge–NoticeofSubmissionofaYearlyOperationalPlan(pdf)–TennesseeGasPipeline
Company’sROWintheKampoosaBogDrainageBasin–commentsdue8/21/20
MountWashington–BeckerPondDamRemoval–ENF–Commentsnowdue7/24/20
Rowe/Florida–NoticeofSubmissionofaYearlyOperationalPlan(pdf)–BrookfieldRenewables
BearSwampProjectvegetationmanagement–commentsdue7/24/20
Stockbridge–NoticeofSubmissionofaYearlyOperationalPlan(pdf)–KinderMorganCompany:
TennesseeGasPipelineCompany(Tennessee)vegetationmanagementplan–commentsdue
7/24/20
PioneerValleyIndex
Agawam–NoticeofIssuanceofaSection61Finding–EEA#15879–TennesseeGasPipeline
261UpgradeProjects(pdf)–posted7/8/20
Southwick–NoticeofIntenttoInitiateanEcologicalRestorationProject(pdf)–KlausAnderson
Road/JohnsonBrookCulvertReplacement–posted7/8/20
Springfield–ResiliencyImprovementsatWatershopsPondDam–ENF–commentsdue6/09/20
Amherst,Chicopee,Granby,Leverett,Montague,SouthHadley,Sunderland–Montagueto
FairmontStructureReplacementProject(MFRP)–EversourceLines1044/1632/1113/1134(pdf)
–RequestforAdvisoryOpinion–commentsdue7/14/20
Springfield–NoticeofIssuanceofaDraftOperatingPermitRenewal(pdf)–MASSPOWER,LLC–
commentsdue7/24/20
Ashfield–NoticeofApplicationandIssuanceofaDraftGroundwaterDischargePermit(pdf)–
AshfieldWastewaterTreatmentPlant–posted6/24/20
Charlemont–NoticeofApplicationfora401WaterQualityCertificate(pdf)–Bridge
ReplacementofTowerRoadoverChickleyRiver–posted6/24/20
SouthHadley–NoticeofIntenttoInitiateanEcologicalRestorationProject(pdf)–pond
dredgingat40WorthingtonDrive–posted6/24/20
Wendell–Bowen’sPondDamRemovalandOsgoodBrookRestoration–ENFCertificate–
RequiresanEnvironmentalImpactReport
Northfield–FourStarFarm–ENFCertificate–DoesNotRequireanEnvironmentalImpact
Report–issued6/19/20
StatewideIndex
nothingnew
PUBLICNOTICESPublicNoticeslistedherearefromavarietyofsources,fromtownconservationcommissionsand
selectboardstostateandfederalagencies.TheselistingsareforBerkshire,Hampshire,Hampden,
andFranklincounties.Listingsareonlypostediftheyareenvironmentalinnature.Youcanfindall
publicnoticesforMassachusettshere.
BEATPublicNoticesPAGE
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20ChapelSt.Pittsfield,MA01201|(413)4649402|[email protected]
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