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EPA Extends Public Comment Period for the Ecological Risk Assessment for GE Pittsfield/Housatonic River Site

Release Date: 08/05/2003
Contact Information:

BOSTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has once again extended the public comment period for the recently-completed Ecological Risk Assessment for a major section of the Housatonic River in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Public comments are now due by Sept. 30, 2003. The deadline for nominations to the peer review panel has not changed and these peer review panel nominations are due by August 13, 2003.

During the comment period, the public is encouraged to:

    • Submit comments on the Ecological Risk Assessment for consideration by the peer review panel.
    • Submit nominations for people to be considered to serve on the peer review panel.
The area evaluated in the assessment, known as the “Rest of River,” includes the Housatonic River and floodplains alongside the river from the confluence of the river’s East and West branches in Pittsfield downstream to Long Island Sound.

The assessment is one in a series of reports being prepared by EPA as part of the Consent Decree negotiated three years ago between EPA, General Electric and other government agencies.

Comments or peer review panel nominations can be sent to:

Alison Wolfe, Marasco Newton Group
2801 Clarendon Blvd., Suite 100
Arlington, VA 22201
Or by email to:
[email protected]

Copies of the full report are available for review at the following locations:

    • Berkshire Athenaeum Public Library Reference Department, Pittsfield, MA
    • Simon’s Rock College of Bard Library, Great Barrington, MA
    • Cornwall Public Library, Cornwall, CT
    • Kent Memorial Library (Kent Library Association), Kent, CT
    • Housatonic Valley Association, Cornwall Bridge, CT
    • EPA Records Center, One Congress Street, Suite 1100, Boston, MA
Additional information on the ecological risk assessment, and the peer review charge, which provides guidance to the peer review panel for their review of the document, can be found on EPA’s web site at: www.epa.gov/ne/ge