July15,2020

DearFriend,

Housatonic River Remediation News! Please help us spread the word, so everyone in the

Housatonic River watershed knows that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has

releasedtheirnewpermit for remediationof theHousatonic"RestofRiver"downstreamofFred

GarnerParkinPittsfield.Thisnewpermitbuildsuponthe2016permit,sotherecanbenoback-

sliding from anything thatwas settled by the Environmental Appeals Board (EAB) in that 2016

permit.

EPA'sdetailedproposedmodificationstothe2016permit:

DraftRevised2020Permit

StatementofBasisthatoutlinesthechangesandtherationalefortheDraftRevised2020

Permit

ShortFactSheetSummaryofthisaction

OverviewofHousatonicRivercleanupeffort,andEPA'sproposedpermitmodifications

(PowerpointPresentation)

Please take some time to understand what has changed in this new permit and

comment to the EPA. The comment period currently runs until August 28, 2020. You can

commentbyemail(r1housatonic@epa.gov),fax(617-918-0028)ormailcommentspostmarkedno

laterthanAugust28,2020to:

GE-HousatonicRiverSitePublicComments

EPARegion1

5PostOfficeSquare(MailCodeSEMD-07-01)

Boston,MA02109-3912

TherewillbeavirtualPublicHearingonWednesday,August26,2020.EPAwillprovidea

briefoverviewoftheproposedpermitchanges,followedbyanopportunityforthepublictomake

commentsfortherecord.Thesecommentswillberecorded,transcribed,andincludedinthesite

Administrative Record. Written responses to comments will be included as part of EPA's final

permitdecision.DetailsabouthowtoparticipateinthevirtualformalPublicHearingwillbeposted

atthewebsitelistedabove.Readthepressreleasehere.

Thankyouforallyoudotoprotecttheenvironment,

Jane,Elia,Rose,Jake,Isabelle,Weyessa,andElizabeth

CLICKHEREtohelpsupportthisnewsletter.Thankyou!

InTheNews

3Berkshirewomensalutedas'heroines'ofpublicengagementDANNYJIN|THEBERKSHIREEAGLE

Three Berkshire residents are among those recognized in the Massachusetts Commission of the

Status of Women's Commonwealth Heroines Class of 2020. The honorees are: - Anne Nemetz-

Carlson,ofWilliamstown,recommendedbystateRep.JohnBarrettIII,D-NorthAdams;-CherylRose,

ofDalton,recommendedbystateRep.PaulMark,D-Peru;-JaneWinn,ofPittsfield,recommendedby

stateRep.TriciaFarley-Bouvier,D-Pittsfield.READMORE

BerkshireRegionalPlanningCommission,MillTownCapital

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TheBerkshireRegional PlanningCommission andprivate investment groupMill TownCapital have

releasedanewplantodeveloptheregion’soutdoorrecreationresources. Itcomesatatimewhen

manyofusareturningtooutdoorrecreationtogetthroughthepandemic.Thepartnersreleasedan

over200-pagereportonhowthecountycaninvestinitsnaturalofferings.READMOREorREADFULL

PLANHERE

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InearlyJuly,theMassachusettsDivisionofFisheriesandWildlife(MassWildlife)andtheBiodiversity

ResearchInstitute(BRI)confirmedthatacommonloonchickhatchedinFallRiverthisspring.Until

thisyear,loonshadnothatchedinsoutheasternMassachusettsinoveracentury!BRI,anon-profit

ecologicalresearchgroupbasedinMaine,hasbeenpartneringwithMassWildlifetorestorecommon

loons toMassachusetts.Thishistorichatchling isanexciting resultofamulti-year loon restoration

initiative.READMORE

Findmoreclimateandenergyarticlesfeaturedinthisweek'sNoFrackedGasinMass

WeeklyNewsCheck-In.Findthenewsandsubscribehere.

MassachusettsLiftsBanOnReusuableBagsDAVECOPELAND|PATCH

The139 cities and towns inMassachusettswith bans on single-shoppingbags can start enforcing

themagainafterthestate lifted itsemergencyorderonreusuableshoppingbagsFriday."This isa

homerun--goodfortheenvironment,forpublichealth,forreducingwaste,andforprotectingboth

workers and shoppers," MASSPIRG Executive Director Janet Domenitz said in a statement. READ

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PandemicReachesAllPartsofTheGlobeIncludingUnderwaterLAURENSOMMER|NPR

Theglobalcoronaviruscrisishasleadtoadeclineinshiptrafficaroundtheworld,whichmeansthe

oceansarequieter.Thatcouldbeprovidingsomerelieftowhalesandothermarinemammals.LISTEN

HERE

‘It’sallonhold’:howCovid-19derailedthe

fightagainstplasticwasteERINMCCORMICK|THEGUARDIAN

2020wassupposedtobetheyearAmericarevoltedagainstplastic.Consumerswererefusingstraws

andtotingtheirowncoffeemugs.Legislatorshadproposedanunprecedentedwaveoflawstoban

single-useplastics.Evencompanies likeCokeandPepsiwereopeningup to the ideaplasticmight

notbethefuture.ThencametheCovid-19pandemic.Nowactivistsworrytheanti-plasticmovement

isonceagainbackinthetrenches.READMORE

IsThistheEndofNewPipelines?HIROKOTABUCHI&BRADPALMER|THENEWYORKTIMES

Theyareamongthenation’smostsignificantinfrastructureprojects:Morethan9,000milesofoiland

gaspipelines intheUnitedStatesarecurrentlybeingbuiltorexpanded,andanother12,500miles

havebeenapproved or announced— together, almost enough to circle the Earth.Now, however,

pipelineprojectslikethesearebeingchallengedasneverbeforeasprotestsspread,economicsshift,

environmentalists mount increasingly sophisticated legal attacks and more states seek to reduce

theiruseoffossilfuelstoaddressclimatechange.READMORE

KeepupwiththefightagainstfossilfuelsattheNoFrackedGasinMassNewsletter

SUBSCRIBEHERE

JOBS

Welistjobsrelatedtotheenvironmentfromavarietyoforganizations.

Emailnews@thebeatnews.orgtosubmitanopenposition.

TrailCrewMember|BerkshireNaturalResourcesCouncil|Pittsfield(7/14)

BoardMember(s)|BerkshireConservationDistrict|BerkshireCounty-clicklink&scrolltoemailcontact

President|ColumbiaLandConservancy|Chatham,NY(6/9)

Cashiers,Cooks,Dishwashing,Prep|BascomLodge|Adams,MA(6/9)

YouthEducationCoordinator|MountGraceConservationLandTrust|Athol(5/25)

LandStewardshipCoordinator|MountGraceConservationLandTrust|Athol(5/25)

RegionalCollaborationCoordinator|CISA|S.Deerfield(5/25)

EnvironmentalAnalystIV|MassDEP|Worcester(5/11)

EnvironmentalAnalystIII|MassDEP|Worcester

DigitalOrganizer&CommunicationsSpecialist|350-MA|Cambridge(4/6)

COMMUNITYCALENDARWelisteventsfromavarietyoflocalandregionalorganizationsandindividuals.

BEATeventsareinbold.BerkshireCountyeventsarelistednorthtosouthbylocation,outofcounty

eventsarelistedalphabeticallybylocation.Submiteventstonews@thebeatnews.org.

WEDNESDAY,JULY15

ControllingUnderstoryFernCompetitionforRegenerationSuccess-Webinar

Huanglongbing&Asiancitruspsyllid:FirstDetectorWebcast

VirtualMeetandGreetwithMassWildlifeandBackcountryHuntersandAnglers

2050NetZeroRoadmapVirtualRally

THURSDAY,JULY16

SoilTheSolutionBeneathOurFeet-OnlineClass

i-TreeandtheUrbanForest-Webinar

CreatingandSupportingBiodiversityinOurLandscapes-Webinar

ARemarkableRestoration-Webinar

TheCircularEconomy:CreatingtheWorldWeWant-Webinar

ManagingJapaneseKnotweed-Webinar

ClimateStorytellingOnlineWorkshop-Webinar

SATURDAY,JULY18

StructuralPlantCombinations-OnlineClass

JULY20-31

Art+Science-OnlineClass

JULY20-AUGUST9

NOFASummerConference-Online

MONDAY,JULY20

OutWest:WesternMonarchConservationEfforts–Breeding/MigratoryHabitat

TUESDAY,JULY21

TurtleManofEgremont:JulyPittsfieldGreenDrinks-Online

UsingPlace-basedLearningtoTeachCulturally-Webinar

WhyShellfishGrowersareUrgingClimateAction-Webinar

TheBlackFarmerFund:CreatingPathwaystoLandAccess&FoodSovereigntyforBlackCommunities

-Webinar

WEDNESDAY,JULY22

ManagingEmeraldAshBorerandClimateChange-Webinar

AsianLonghornBeetle&EmeraldAshBorer:FirstDetectorWebcast

WetlandsProtectionAct:Fundamentals,process,procedures-Webinar

THURSDAY,JULY23

StateRegulationsPertainingtoInvasivePlantManagement-Webinar

TreesinTrouble-Webinar

FRIDAY,JULY24

DowntownPittsfieldSummerCleanup

CompleteCommunityCalendar

ENVIRONMENTALMONITORJuly8,2020

The Environmental Monitor provides information on projects under review by the Massachusetts

Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) office, recent MEPA decisions of the Secretary of Energy &

EnvironmentalAffairs,andpublicnoticesfromenvironmentalagencies.

BerkshireIndex

Stockbridge–NoticeofSubmissionofaYearlyOperationalPlan(pdf)–TennesseeGasPipeline

Company’sROWintheKampoosaBogDrainageBasin–commentsdue8/21/20

MountWashington–BeckerPondDamRemoval–ENF–Commentsnowdue7/24/20

Rowe/Florida–NoticeofSubmissionofaYearlyOperationalPlan(pdf)–BrookfieldRenewables

BearSwampProjectvegetationmanagement–commentsdue7/24/20

Stockbridge–NoticeofSubmissionofaYearlyOperationalPlan(pdf)–KinderMorganCompany:

TennesseeGasPipelineCompany(Tennessee)vegetationmanagementplan–commentsdue

7/24/20

PioneerValleyIndex

Agawam–NoticeofIssuanceofaSection61Finding–EEA#15879–TennesseeGasPipeline

261UpgradeProjects(pdf)–posted7/8/20

Southwick–NoticeofIntenttoInitiateanEcologicalRestorationProject(pdf)–KlausAnderson

Road/JohnsonBrookCulvertReplacement–posted7/8/20

Springfield–ResiliencyImprovementsatWatershopsPondDam–ENF–commentsdue6/09/20

Amherst,Chicopee,Granby,Leverett,Montague,SouthHadley,Sunderland–Montagueto

FairmontStructureReplacementProject(MFRP)–EversourceLines1044/1632/1113/1134(pdf)

–RequestforAdvisoryOpinion–commentsdue7/14/20

Springfield–NoticeofIssuanceofaDraftOperatingPermitRenewal(pdf)–MASSPOWER,LLC–

commentsdue7/24/20

Ashfield–NoticeofApplicationandIssuanceofaDraftGroundwaterDischargePermit(pdf)–

AshfieldWastewaterTreatmentPlant–posted6/24/20

Charlemont–NoticeofApplicationfora401WaterQualityCertificate(pdf)–Bridge

ReplacementofTowerRoadoverChickleyRiver–posted6/24/20

SouthHadley–NoticeofIntenttoInitiateanEcologicalRestorationProject(pdf)–pond

dredgingat40WorthingtonDrive–posted6/24/20

Wendell–Bowen’sPondDamRemovalandOsgoodBrookRestoration–ENFCertificate–

RequiresanEnvironmentalImpactReport

Northfield–FourStarFarm–ENFCertificate–DoesNotRequireanEnvironmentalImpact

Report–issued6/19/20

StatewideIndex

nothingnew

PUBLICNOTICESPublicNoticeslistedherearefromavarietyofsources,fromtownconservationcommissionsand

selectboardstostateandfederalagencies.TheselistingsareforBerkshire,Hampshire,Hampden,

andFranklincounties.Listingsareonlypostediftheyareenvironmentalinnature.Youcanfindall

publicnoticesforMassachusettshere.

BEATPublicNoticesPAGE

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