Imagine the economy without Tanglewood, the outlets, motels and restaurants.
I'm down river and boat/fish on the Housatonic/Lillinonah. How's that clean-up going ? Fish safe yet ?
What's the half life of PCB ?
Having grown up in Lenox, I hated the summer tourist season. Unfortunately, it's a necessary evil....
Ah, fishing and the Housatonic, my favorite pastime. In spite of the pollution, the Housy is THE greatest pike fishing destination in the Northeast! I caught my largest northern in Conn., just above Falls Village (21 1/2 lber). How's the pike fishing in Lillinonah anyhow?
A short summary of the cleanup;
The river from the GE plant to the confluence of the east and west branches, about 1 1/2 miles, has been cleaned. The river looks a little naked, because all the trees on the banks were removed, but other trees have been replanted.
The 6 miles from the confluence to Woods Pond in Lenox Dale is next on GE's plate. This is a different animal because the river slows down and meanders back and forth. Therefore, the cleanup is not only in the river itself, but the floodplain on both sides. A far bigger task (and price tag) for GE than the first mile and a half. GE's initial proposal to the Mass. DEP was to tear all the sediment and polluted soil out, stockpile it somewhere nearby, cover the bottom of the Woods Pond area with a membrane, and hope it holds up. Obviously, this was the most visually destructive solution (and cheapest) offered by GE. Environmentalists and concerned citizens voiced their displeasure with this option, so Mass DEP ordered GE back to the drawing board, to find a way to rid the area of PCB contamination, without turning the corridor into a waste land. I believe GE has until this fall to present a new plan to DEP.
The 6 miles from south of Pittsfield to Woods Pond is some of the most scenic canoeing/kayaking anywhere! Abundant wildlife and flora make it hard to imagine it is polluted that badly!
As for the rest of the river, south of Woods Pond to Long Island Sound, I believe that is a federal issue, so the EPA has their hands full with GE. What ever happens isn't going to be done in the next five years, that's for sure! And the half-life of PCB's is a lot longer than our whole lives combined, sorry to say!
