Some of our previous work, listed alphabetically.
Barker Road: The work just wouldn’t stop!
BEAT Partners to get pharmaceuticals out of our wetlands: BEAT partnered with Berkshire United Way, the Berkshire Attorney General’s Office, Berkshire Health Systems, and a number of other groups in an effort to take back unused prescription drugs.
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.
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. Still no action 2013.
Fred Garner Park – On Pomeroy Ave in Pittsfield, this park was a staging site for much of the remediation of the 1.5 mile stretch of river. It is now restored and has a canoe launch.
Great Barrington Fairgrounds: – This page talks about the MEPA review for development plans back in 2006. It does not have any information on the 2013 plans.
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.
Housatonic Railroad – This relatively short set of rail lines causes lots of environmental 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.
King Street Dump – on the West Branch of the Housatonic River
Mill Street Dam – Also called the Tel-Electric Dam
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.
Pines at Bousquet Mountain: A 105-unit condominium development at Bousquet Ski Area that bears close watching. We’ll keep you posted.
Pittsfield Municipal Airport expansion
Riverside Waste Transfer Station (Valley Mill): A waste transfer station so close to the river and in such a beautiful area? Update! November 19, 2005. Now we can celebrate! Valley Mill has decided to abandon plans to build a waste transfer station on the bank of the Housatonic River and has found a new site for their operation. Success!
Rose Superfund Site – see also 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. (Update: Project cancelled!)
Tel-Electric Dam: See Mill Street Dam above
Tire-burning facilities in New York state: Polluted air knows no boundaries.
Visions for the future of the West Branch The community comes together to plan the future of the West Branch and the surrounding neighborhoods.
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.
Zero Waste: Zero waste is a way to design, create, use, and breakdown products so that no waste ends up being emitted, landfilled, or incinerated.