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Statement of John P. DeVillars EPA New England Administrator on Extension of Negotiation Period with General Electric February 2, 1998

Release Date: 02/03/1998
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We set out five months ago to achieve a negotiated settlement with GE. We did so because we believe that negotiation is preferable to litigation; constructive dialogue more helpful than name calling. Our hope was to meet three key objectives: remediation of the Housatonic River and flood plain, restoration of natural resources, and economic redevelopment of the GE facility in Pittsfield.

We have made some progress toward that end. All parties - EPA, MA and CT DEP, city officials, MA and CT offices of the Attorney General, U. S. Department of Justice, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of the Interior, MA Executive Office of Environmental Affairs and GE - have worked hard to develop and share ideas with twice weekly meetings since November. We have put in place excellent mediators and with their help have established honest, open dialogue.

I can report today that there is forward progress. We have identified some common ground and established other areas where more effort and discussion are necessary. We have exchanged proposals and are actively discussing their individual elements. But, no agreement has yet been reached.

I had hoped for more by this point. And while I am disappointed that our progress has not been more substantial, I nevertheless believe the prospects for successful negotiation are real enough to warrant all parties staying at the table.

We have set March 30 as the appropriate deadline for concluding our negotiations. This is a long enough period to develop a meaningful and acceptable outcome yet short enough to hold all of our feet to the fire.

This is our last and best shot for a negotiated settlement. Unless we have a package ready to wrap up and put a bow on by March 30, we will be forced to pursue a different course. We have a lot of work to do between now and then. We will have to make considerably more progress in the next two months than we've made in the last five. But if we stay at the table and deal more honestly and openly with each other, we have a chance to do right by Pittsfield and the Housatonic Valley without resorting to legal action. That is our goal.

I want to assure Pittsfield citizens that while negotiations are taking place in Boston, progress continues to be made in Pittsfield. Sampling of residential sites continues; EPA and MA DEP are pushing forward with remediation plans for those residences already identified and we will be ready to move quickly into cleanup this spring; we have removed 10,000 tons of PCB contaminated sediment and soil adjacent to Building 68; and we continue to assess the nature and extent of contamination in the river and elsewhere in Pittsfield so that cleanup dollars will be spent wisely and well.

Any agreement reached during the negotiations will be based on public input and subject to public comment. We are hopeful that it will earn the full confidence of Pittsfield, Berkshire County and downstream Connecticut communities. And if our negotiations are not successful, EPA remains ready to use its most powerful tool, Superfund, to achieve our objectives.