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The Site Of A Former City Dump |
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Risk Assessment for King Street Dump – posted 7/9/09 River Cleanup in the King Street Dump area – posted 7/22/08 CSA Review Final Permit – 3/14/2007 Provisional CSA Review Permit – 9/14/2006 Canoeing the King Street Dump (5/24/2007) |
| Risk Assessment for King Street DumpOn July 9, Jane Winn spoke to Dan Hall from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Solid Waste Office. Dan said that DEP is currently reviewing the Risk Assessment for the King Street Dump. His best guess is that the Risk Assessment will be done in December 2009. After that there will be a Corrective Measures Study. BEAT asked for a public meeting and site walk after the Risk Assessment comes out.The King Street Dump is a beautiful area that once must have been a gorgeous wetland floodplain. It was then used as a dump where waste was burned, so much of what is in there is ash. The trick will be to make this area safe for people, wildlife, and the river (so material in the dump will not contaminate the river) without destroying all the habitat that exists there today. But keep in mind – this was a dump, and all the current habitat grew in there. If we completely remediated the area, removing all the contamination, and then taking restorative measures, it would eventually grow back. On the other hand, are there “in situ” remedial technologies that would allow us to decrease the contamination without removing it?. Or should we remove some of the contaminated material and restore the previous level of the land to a much lower level that might alleviate flooding across the river at Wahconah Park? |
| March 14, 2007, King Street Dump received a Comprehensive Site Assessment Review Final Permit. (pages 1-10 (pdf) and pages 11-18 (pdf) )BEAT appreciates the inclusion of full excavation and removal of the landfill and restoration of the wetland to pre-fill conditions, and removal of a portion of the landfill along the river with creation of a wetland buffer as alternatives. We were very disappointed that after the public was told that the Bureau of Solid Waste (BSW) from the Mass. Department of Environmental Protection would hold a public meeting about the King Street Dump in the fall of 2006, the BSW decided not to follow through on this. We were extremely displeased that full removal and partial removal of the dump were not included in the original permit. We understand that DEP’s staff time is limited, but to not hold a public meeting and also not leave these options on the table would have been inexcusable.We look forward to a public meeting about the King Street Dump this year. BEAT does not think that having at least one public meeting each year on this subject would be asking too much of the BSW. |
| King Street Dump comment period was extended(2006)On September 14, 2006 the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Bureau of Solid Waste (BSW) released their Provisional Comprehensive Site Assessment (CSA) Review, King Street Dump, Pittsfield , Massachusetts. (pages 1-6 (pdf) and pages 7-14 (pdf) ) Although CSAs are not usually provisional, DEP BSW knew BEAT and other environmental groups wanted to review and possibly comment on the CSA, so they issued the CSA as provisional to allow us a chance to review the document.BEAT did not feel that 21 days was enough time to review DEP’s Provisional CSA Review, so BEAT has been talking with DEP BSW. They have offered to extend the comment period by 30 days.
BEAT’s comments will include a request that other alternatives be analyzed, including complete removal of all the fill and removal of a wide band of fill to form a restored wetland between the dump and the river. This could have the added benefit of reducing flooding at Wahconah Park. BEAT will be working closely with the Housatonic River Initiative to identify other areas in the Dump that should be tested for PCBs. BEAT thinks all the abutters should have been notified as well as anyone who has commented in the past. We will be working with the other environmental groups to try to reach out to anyone who is interested in the King Street Dump to help them get information or make comments. If you have questions please email Jane@thebeatnews.org or call 413-230-7321. BEAT would like to point out that the King Street Dump is in an Environmental Justice neighborhood. It is part of Wahconah Park and we feel it belongs to the public. The public should have a say on what is done here. DEP pointed out that one of the upcoming phases is the Alternatives Analysis, where the decision of what is to be done will be made. DEP feels that this is where the public is most likely to want to participate. |
AbbreviationsATSDR = Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry BSW = Bureau of Solid Waste (within the DEP) CSA = Comprehensive Site Assessment (There are separate CSA Reviews – first provisional, then final) DEP = Mass. Department of Environmental DPH = Mass. Department of Public Health EPA = US Environmental Protection Agency GE = General Electric Company PCB = Poly Chlorinated Biphenols |