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Allendale Elementary School - also 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.
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.
East Branch of the Housatonic River -
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
Housatonic Railroad - This relatively short set of rail lines causes lots of environmetnal problems - and it seems as if their trains derail frequently. Take a look and see how citizens worried about "stuff" in the river averted a major train disaster in Pittsfield.
Inflow & Infiltration - How water gets into the pipes that carry city sewage and causes the sewer treatment plants to overflow, and what the City of Pittsfield is doing to correct the problem.
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
Road Ecology - Look here to see what BEAT is doing to decrease the impact our transportation network has on the environment.
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."
Transporation - See Road Ecology
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.
Wahconah Park - The City of Pittsfield has two separate Notices of Intent (NOI) filed on this property. This is not allowed under the Wetlands Protection Act regualtions. The two NOIs should be combined into one. Also, the City appears to have been doing work on this site in violation of the current Order of Conditions (permit). See pictures of fill brought on the site surrounded by water in the parking lot.
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
Other issues, including many of BEAT's previous issues. Some are currently active, others are not.