What Has Happened?
August-September 2002: The
Pittsfield Conservation Commission hears Valley Mill Corporation's
Notice of Intent and issues an Order Of Conditions (permit).
October 2002: Valley Mill
Corp. purchases land and building at 58 & 80 Industrial
Drive.
November 2002: Valley Mill
Corp. receives a building permit #2002-1167 for "foundation
only" at 80 Industrial Drive - (Applicant is Gerald S.
Doyle, former Mayor of Pittsfield). Because there is no catagory
of Waste Transfer Station in the zoning regulations, the Building
Commissioner considers this to be a WAREHOUSE.
January 23, 2003: The Executive
Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA) finds that Valley Mill
Corp. is required to file an Environmental Impact Report (EIR).
January 31, 2003: The Berkshire
Eagle reports that Valley Mill Corp. must file an EIR.
The neighborhood residents become aware of the proposal and
contact BEAT and Toxics Action Center.
February 2003: The neighborhood
residents, BEAT, and Toxics Action Center begin organizing.
March 2003: Valley Mill Corp.
files its Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR).
April 2003: The neighborhood
group begins educating people about what is happening and begins
circulating petitions opposing the siting of Valley Mill Corp.'s
C&D Processing and Transfer station at the Industrial Drive
location.
April 16, 2003: Neighborhood
residents ask for and get a Public Hearing on Valley Mill Corp.'s
proposed facility. The hearing will take place in the Pittsfield
City Council chambers.
April 23, 2003: Pittsfield
Park Commission votes to send a letter to EOEA opposing Valley
Mill Corp.'s siting of the facility so close to Clapp Park.
March - April 2003: EOEA receives
a large number of public comments detailing problems with the
DEIR.
May 1, 2003: EOEA finds that
the DEIR "adequately and properly complies with the Massachusetts
Environmental Policy Act (G.L.c.30, ss.61-62H) and with its
implementing regulations." This certificate outlines the
steps that Valley Mill Corp. must still complete and the additional
information that must be included in the Final Environmental
Impact Report (FEIR) to EOEA.
May 20, 2003: The neighborhood
group petitions the Pittsfield City Council requesting a Traffic
Study to assess the effect of the proposed facility on traffic
at the Industrial Drive intersection with South Street.
June 19, 2003: Pittsfield
Traffic Commission votes to recommend that the Pittsfield Community
Development Board conduct a Traffic Study to assess the effect
of the proposed facility on traffic at the Industrial Drive
intersection with South Street.
June 19, 2003: The neighborhood
group files a complaint with the Pittsfield Building Commissioner
about the Building Permit.
June 2003: Valley Mill files
its FEIR with EOEA. EOEA receives many more comments about problems
with the FEIR.
July 1, 2003: The neighborhood
group organizes a Neighborhood Meeting with Mayor Sara Hathaway
to discuss Valley Mill Corp.'s proposed facility. The Mayor
is impressed by the size of the crowd, over 120 people, attending
this meeting.
July 8, 2003: Pittsfield City
Council discusses the Traffic Study request.
July 18, 2003: Pittsfield
Building Commissioner sends the complaint regarding the Building
Permit to the Pittsfield Community Development Board.
August 1, 2003: The neighborhood
group and BEAT videotaped an experiment in which a tractor trailor
truck turned in and out of Industrial Drive from South Street.
August 14, 2003: EOEA finds
that the DEIR "adequately and properly complies with the
Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (G.L.c.30, ss.61-62H)
and with its implementing regulations." In the certificate
EOEA points out that the Massachusetts Environmental Policy
Act (MEPA) is a "non-adjudicatory information gathering
process, which does not itself result in any formal decision
approving or disapproving a project."
August 15, 2003: The neighborhood
group again meets with Mayor Sara Hathaway to discus the Valley
Mill Corp. project.
August 17-19, 2003: Green
Corps volunteers help the neighborhood group conduct a petition
and flyer drive.
August 19, 2003: The neighborhood
group held a press conference at the entrance to Industrial
Drive.
August 19, 2003: The Pittsfield
Community Development Board rules in favor of allowing the building
permit to be issued by classifying the facility as a WAREHOUSE.
August 2003: Valley Mill Corp.
files a Site Suitability Report for a New Site Assignment with
the Solid Waste Bureau of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental
Protection (DEP).
October 2003: DEP issues a
Statement of Administrative Completeness Review Deficiency to
Valley Mill Corp. determining that the Site Suitability Report
is "administratively deficient", and outlining additional
information that must be included.
March 2004: DEP issues a Statement
of Administrative Completeness to Valley Mill Corp. after Valley
Mill submitted additional materials. Now, DEP is waiting to
do the Site Suitability Review for Valley Mill to place a Public
Notice to start the review period.
