Housatonic Valley Association To Host PCB Meeting

The Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) announced that at the organization’s request, the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public informational meeting on Tuesday, January 4, at 6 pm at the Kent Town Hall in Kent. According to HVA, a representative from the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office will also attend.

At the meeting the government representatives will discuss the components of a proposed consent decree and reissued RCRA (Resource Conservation Recovery Act) corrective action permit, both of which deal with the cleanup of PCB contamination at the General Electric plant and in the Housatonic River. In the event of severe weather, the meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 11 at 6 pm at the Kent Town Hall.

The public is urged to attend to both hear about cleanup plans and comment directly to the EPA.

Lynn Werner, executive director of HVA, said, “This may be the public’s only chance to voice their concerns and provide input to a decision-making process that will affect the health of the Housatonic for years to come. We urge the public to attend this important meeting.”

The proposed Consent Decree between GE and the federal and state governments of Connecticut and Massachusetts outlines the actions required of GE as well as the assessment of natural resource damages. The Consent Decree must be approved by the United States District Court of Western Massachusetts.

The Consent Decree is subject to public notice and comment. To ensure that Connecticut organizations and residents have adequate time to respond, HVA requested and received an extension of the public comment period to January 24.

“This is an historic moment in the PCB contamination issue on the Housatonic River,” Ms Werner said.

Ruth Malins, HVA’s resource center director, said, “Connecticut is expected to receive $7.75 million in natural resource damages restoration funding. This meeting is a chance to tell Connecticut DEP officials what we think about the best use of those funds.”

For those unable to attend the public meeting on January 4, copies of the consent decree are on file at the Housatonic Valley Association’s office at 150 Kent Road, Cornwall Bridge. Copies are also available at the Kent Town Hall, the Oliver Wolcott Library in Litchfield and the Cornwall Library in Cornwall. Written comments on the consent decree should be sent to Bryan Olson, US EPA, One Congress Street (HBI), Boston, MA 02114 and also to Assistant Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources Division, US Department of Justice, PO Box 7611, Ben Franklin Station, Washington, DC 20044. Please include DJ#90-11-3-1479, 90-11-3-1279Z on your correspondence. Comments must be received by January 24, 2000.

For more information and directions call Ruth Malins, resource center director, Housatonic Valley Association, 860/672-6678 or 800/TEAMHVA.