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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has Released for Public Comment and Peer Review the Recently-Completed Calibration Report for a Major Section of the Housatonic River in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Release Date: 12/23/2004
Contact Information:

Contact Information: Angela Bonariggo, 617-918-1034

For Immediate Release: December 23, 2004; Release # SR04-12-10

BOSTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released for public comment and Peer Review the recently-completed Calibration Report for a major section of the Housatonic River in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

This is one in a series of three modeling reports that will be used to better understand the nature and impacts of PCB contamination in the Rest of the River in the absence of any cleanup action, and also to evaluate the impact of potential cleanup actions. EPA will consider these three reports, along with the human health and ecological risk assessments in making a cleanup decision on the “Rest of River” which includes the Housatonic River and floodplain alongside the river from the confluence of the river’s East and West branches in Pittsfield downstream to Long Island Sound. The two other components of the modeling study are the Modeling Framework Design which was reissued in 2004 in response to Peer Review comments received in 2001, and the Validation Report which will be released for Peer Review after the completion of the Peer Review of the Calibration Report.

EPA representatives will present the calibration report at the next meeting of the Citizens Coordinating Council for the General Electric / Housatonic River site on Wednesday, January 5, 2004 at 5:30 p.m. in the Auditorium of the Berkshire Athenaeum Library in Pittsfield, Mass.

The release of the report begins the 30-day public comment period which will run from December 24th through January 25th. During this time, individuals, organizations and other interested parties are encouraged to comment on the report. The comments are to be within the scope of the Peer Review Charge questions and will be considered by the Peer Review Panel in a formal Peer Review meeting in the spring. During the comment period, the public is encouraged to submit comments on the calibration report for consideration by the peer review panel.

Comments can be sent to:
Alison Wolfe, Marasco Newton Group
2801 Clarendon Blvd., Suite 100
Arlington, VA 22201

Or by email to: GEPittsfield@sra.com

Copies of the full report will become available for review at the following locations on December 24th:

Berkshire Athenaeum Public Library Reference Department, Pittsfield, MA
Simon’s Rock College of Bard Library, Great Barrington, MA
Cornwall Public Library, Cornwall, CT
Kent Memorial Library (Kent Library Association), Kent, CT
Housatonic Valley Association, Cornwall Bridge, CT
EPA Records Center, One Congress Street, Suite 1100, Boston, MA