Here are some of the issues on which BEAT is currently working. (in alphabetical order) Allendale Elementary School - see GE & PCBs Berkshire Community College Soccer Fields: This is the issue that started BEAT. It's a project that could have been done right. Instead it was done very wrong. It's still important. It's still not resolved. We still want remediation.

Berkshire Metropolitan Planning Organization: - Transportation networks have a tremendous impact on ecosystems. It is imperative that we get involved with transportation planning at the earliest stages - usually 10 to 20 years before a road actually is under construction! BEAT videotapes these meetings and serves on the Transportation Advisory Board.

Conservation Commissions

Churchill Estates: Success! - Developer had plans to build 39 houses with septic systems on Pittsfield's only non-polluted, medium-yield aquifer. The plan is now for just 8 or 9 houses as allowed by right under Massachusetts "Approval Not Required" (ANR) zoning law.

Dorothy Amos Park- see West Branch of the Housatonic River

East Branch of the Housatonic River -

• Fred Garner Park

Federal Archives Site - Illegal Dumping Behind the Federal Archives? A hunter stumbled upon this illegal dump site and reported it to BEAT. We turned it in. It went to court. The court said "Fix it." 2007 update - The site still has major erosion problems. In April 2007, the Director of the Western Regional Office of Mass. Department of Environmental Protection joined BEAT's Executive Director to walk the site and see the problems first hand.

GE & PCBs and the Housatonic River: The world's richest corporation. Why is it so hard to get them to clean up the mess they made in our river and in our schoolyards?

• Allendale Elementary School - The elementary school right next to the toxic waste dumps
• Citizens Coordinating Council - A process to hold public meetings to keep the citizenry informed about the "cleanup" of PCBs
• Hill 78 and Building 71 Toxic Waste Dumps - The low level and high level, respectively, toxic waste dumps right next to Allendale Elementary School
• NPDES permit - expired 2/1997, new permit comment period expired 3/05, still no new permit!
• Pittsfield Economic Development Authority - The William Stanley Business Park site, where GE knocked down buildings and then turned the site over to the City of Pittsfield, is supposed to be redeveloped by PEDA, but there are many problems. BEAT now broadcasts these meetings.
• Rest of the River - 2007 - how to deal with the "Rest of the River" below Fred Garner Park in Pittsfield, is not being hotly debated
• Rose Superfund Site - A site in Lanesborough where toxic chemicals were dumped. The site was "remediated" in 1994, but is still pumping toxic water from the ground
• Silver Lake - The lake that for years GE dumped toxic waste into which flows into the Housatonic River above most of the "clean up" The lake has not been "remediated", but they are experimenting with a cap - which BEAT believes has already proved to be a bad idea.
• Unkamet Brook: Another toxic waste dumping area for GE. This brook flows into the Housatonic River above the entire "cleanup" of the river.

Greylock Glen - Learn more about this beautiful, 1,060 acre site at the base of Mount Greylock that keeps being the center of controversial development projects.

Hill 78 and Building 71 - see GE & PCBs

Hoosic Tunnel Railroad vent

Invasive Species (just water chestnut so far)

King Street Dump - see West Branch of the Housatonic River

Mill Street Dam - see West Branch of the Housatonic River

New Marlborough Hill: A proposed development in what was a beautiful site. We have some issues with the project. We're keeping our eyes on it.

Pesticides vs. Organic Lawn Care

Pittsfield Municipal Airport proposed expansion

Pittsfield Conservation Commission: BEAT videotapes and televises the meetings of this commission.

Pittsfield Economic Development Authority - See GE & PCBs

River Cleanups

Rose Superfund Site - see GE & PCBs

Russell Biomass Project: A proposed $150-million wood-burning power plant project that raises concerns about possible impacts on fisheries, rare species, and air quality.

Silver Lake (See GE & PCBs) The work being done by GE to cap the PCB-laden lake bottom is sending Silver Lake sediment into the Housatonic River upstream of the "clean up."

Unkamet Brook: (See GE & PCBs) It's polluted with PCBs. The City of Pittsfield may be planning to increase its flow rate into the Housatonic River.

Vernal Pools (new 4/2008)

Water issues (new 4/2008)

West Branch of the Housatonic River:

• Dorothy Amos Park Once again it looks like PCBs will be removed from the river next to the park this year - but we said that last year, too.
• King Street Dump - West Branch of the Housatonic River: Could cleaning up this mess and recreating a functional wetland help reduce flooding at Wahconah Park?
• Mill Street Dam : 2007 - There is a real possibility this dam may be removed, but first the sediments behind the dam will need thorough testing. Initial tests show contamination is present.
• Visioning Session - on May 11&12, 2007 a visioning session was held, Friday evening outdoors at Pitt Park and all day Saturday at the Conte Elementary School

Wildlife Monitoring

Other issues - many of which are still current in part. For example, although we won and the Riverside Waste Transfer Station decided to build elsewhere, we would still like to see the riverside parcel protected.