Dorothy Amos Park is located on a site that was once home to a junkyard. The junkyard was covered over and made into Dorothy Amos Park. The Park is on the West Branch of the Housatonic River.
In the mid-1990s, citizens of Pittsfield called for PCB testing on the West Branch of the Housatonic River.
On September 30, 1997, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued a “Notice of Responsibility” to General Electric Co. (GE) because Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) were found on the property and needed to be removed.
From May to August of 1998, GE removed 3,800 cubic yards of contaminated soil from the Park and installed one ground water monitoring well. They did not remove contaminated soil from down the riverbank, nor in the river.
In 1999 the EPA performed tests for PCBs downstream of Dorothy Amos Park to the confluence with the East Branch of the Housatonic River. They found elevated levels of PCBs, which they presumed came from Dorothy Amos Park. So they performed more tests for PCBs on the riverbank and sediment in the river next to Dorothy Amos Park. They found sediment in the river that contained 7,630 parts per million (ppm) of PCBs. For comparison, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires residential properties to be remediated to no more than an average of 2 ppm in the soil. In the water of the river, the EPA set the fresh water criterion continuous concentration for PCB is 0.014 ppb and the human health criteria is 0.000064 ppb- that’s parts per Billion – 1,000 times less than ppm)
On December 8, 1999 the DEP ordered GE to submit a Preliminary Phase II Scope of Work for soil, sediment, and groundwater investigation.
In February 2000, GE submitted a Preliminary Phase II Scope of Work for the West Branch of the Housatonic River and agreed to pay DEP to have the work done.
In 2000, DEP’s contractor performed more sampling from just above Dorothy Amos Park all the way down to the confluence with the East Branch. They found sediments with 8,900 ppm in the river next to the Park and also one place downstream that had sediments with 60.5 ppm. Two groundwater monitoring wells were installed at Dorothy Amos Park.
January 2005, DEP issued their draft Investigation of Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Contamination in the West Branch of the Housatonic River.
February 25, 2005, DEP sent GE a letter requiring them to submit a Scope of Work with in 30 days.
Summer of 2008
The remediation of the sediment from the West Branch of the Housatonic River and its riverbanks near Dorothy Amos Park on West Street in Pittsfield should begin sometime in 2008.
As of the end of June, the General Electric Company (GE) obtained their Environmental Notification Form certificate and National Pollution Discharge Elimination Prevention System (NPDES) permit. They still need their Water Quality permit, Chapter 91 permit, and an Order of Conditions (permit) from the Pittsfield Conservation Commission.
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and GE held a public meeting at Riverview West community meeting room to inform the neighborhood and anyone else who is interested about the project.
November 2008
GE has started work to remediate the bank soils and river sediments along side Dorothy Amos Park. At the end of October the Park was closed and haybales and silt fence were installed along the bank of the river by the Park. As of November 5, there were large pipes running along side the park and under the West Street bridge, but the river was flowing strongly that day as well. (pictures)
September 2009
After nearly one year, GE has changed their approach to de-watering the part of the West Branch of the Housatonic River next to Dorothy Amos Park. The river has been unusually high this year. GE is using sheet piling and a pump to help keep the work area dry. (pictures)
BEAT is concerned about the location of the pump on top of contaminated sediment, although GE put down stone under the pump.
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CHRONOLOGY
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EVENT
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DOCUMENTATION
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| 1997 – DEP orders GE to remediate Dorothy Amos Park | |
| 1998, March 18 – ATSDR prepares a report based on a site visit to Dorothy Amos Park by representatives of DEP, ATSDR, and MDPH. | Health Consultation: LOTS G9-8-1 (DOROTHY AMOS PARK), G9-8-9, AND CONTIGUOUS PARCELS: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, PITTSFIELD, BERKSHIRE COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry) |
| 1998, May to August – GE removes 3,800 cubic yards of contaminated soil from Dorothy Amos Park |
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| 1999 – EPA tests riverbank and sediment in the West Branch of the Housatonic River- finds 7,630ppm in the river at Dorothy Amos Park and 60ppm downstream behind Crofut St. |
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| 1999, December 8 – DEP orders GE to submit a Scope of Work report detailing their plans for cleaning remaining PCBs from riverbank soils and river sediments and to evaluate possible groundwater contamination |
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| 2000, February – GE submits their Scope of Work report calling for more testing – but declines to do the testing, since it was not in the Consent Decree. DEP engages a state contractor to perform the proposed investigations. | Re: Site Number GESD002 West Branch – Housatonic River Preliminary Phase II Scope of Work (GE) |
| 2000, September to November – DEP’s contractor samples riverbank at Dorothy Amos Park and the West Branch of the Housatonic River | |
| 2005, January – DEP releases report on testing of samples taken in 2000 – finds 8,900ppm at the Park and recommends further study and monitoring to determine possible need for remediation. |
Investigation of Polychlorinated Biphenyl Contamination in the West Branch of the Housatonic River, Pittsfield, Massachusetts (Massachusetts DEP)1. Front Matter 2. Body 3. Figures (coming soon) 4. Tables (coming soon) |
| 2005, February – DEP requires GE to submit within 30 days a Scope of Work to undertake work suggested by DEP’s January report. | Re: DEP’s Investigation of the West Branch of the housatonic River, Pittsfield Site Number GESD02 (Massachusetts DEP) |
| 2005, March – GE submits Scope of Work outlining further testing. | Re: Site Number GESD002 West Branch – Housatonic River Supplemental Scope of Work for Sediment and Riverbank Investigations (GE) |
| 2005, June – DEP approves GE’s plan with some revisions. | Re: Site Number GESD02 Review and Conditional Approval of Supplemental Scope of Work for Sediment and Riverbank Investigations, Housatonic River – West Branch (Massachusetts DEP) |
| 2005, September – GE submits report of its testing. Suggests that further study be undertaken before any remediation takes place. | Re: Site Number GESD02 West Branch – Housatonic River Additional Investigation Summary Report (GE) |
| 2005, November – DEP approves GE’s plan with some revisions. | Re: Site Number GESD02 Review and Conditional Approval of Additional Investigation Summary Report for Dorothy Amos Park and the West Branch of the Housatonic River (Massachusetts DEP) |
| 2006, January – GE submits report of its testing. Suggests that further study be undertaken before any remediation takes place. | Re: Site Number GESD02 Housatonic River – West Branch Supplemental Sampling Summary Report (GE) |
| 2006, February – DEP approves GE’s plan with some revisions. | Re: Site Number GESD02 Housatonic River – West Branch Review and Conditional Approval of Supplemental Sampling Summary Report (Massachusetts DEP) |
| 2006, October – GE responds to DEP’s request for additional remedial action for the West Branch of the Housatonic River. | Re: Housatonic River – West Branch (Site Number GESD02) Addendum to Second Supplemental Sampling Summary Report and Remedial Action Proposal for the West Branch of the Housatonic River |
| 2007, February 16 – GE submits a second addendum | Second Addendum to Second Supplemental Sampling Summary Report and Remedial Action Proposal for the West Branch of the Housatonic River |
| 2007, February 26 – GE submits a supplement to their second addendum | Supplement to Second Addendum to Second Supplemental Sampling Summary Report and Remedial Action Proposal for the West Branch of the Housatonic River |
| 2007, March 1 – DEP approves GE’s 2nd Supplemental Sampling Report and Remidial Action Proposal with conditions to keep things moving more quickly | Conditional Approval of Second Addendum to Second Supplemental Sampling Summary Report and Remedial Action Proposal and Supplement to Second Addendum to Second Supplemental Sampling Summary Report and Remedial Action Proposal |
Abbreviations
ATSDR = Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
DEP = Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
DPH = Massachusetts Department of Public Health
EPA = US Environmental Protection Agency
GE = General Electric Company
PCB = Polychlorinated Biphenols