MassDEP Clears Petroleum Product from Housatonic River in PittsfieldBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:53AM / Saturday, November 05, 2022 | |
 The state officials are investigating the release of petroleum products in the Housatonic River behind 103 Elm St. last month. |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The state Department of Environmental Protection recently cleared a "substantial" amount of petroleum product from the east branch of the Housatonic River.
The Conservation Commission on Thursday ratified an emergency permit for the abatement and clean-up of a petroleum product release in the body of water behind 103 Elm St. last month.
Work consisted of abatement, cleanup, and mitigation measures from surface waters and surrounding areas. This included the deployment of containment booms in the swale before the east branch, removal of contaminated soils and organic debris, and the placement of clean fill to match former grads if necessary.
"This was in response to DEP's Emergency Response Team. There was a cleanup for discharge of petroleum products in the Housatonic River that was cleaned up and addressed appropriately, of course, by DEP," Conservation Agent Robert Van Der Kar said.
"They're currently investigating the source of that. We'll know more once they finish their investigation."
He reported that there was a substantial amount of product in the water before he arrived on the scene and it is believed that someone dumped it into a drain that ultimately made its way into stormwater discharge.
"DEP is really good about tracking these things down so I feel pretty confident that they will find the source," Van Der Kar added.
Petroleum products are derived from crude oil and include kerosene, home heating oil, diesel fuel, and gasoline.
In other news, the commission issued an order of conditions for Williams College's application to build a new boathouse, parking area, driveway, and curb cuts at 5 Onota Lane.
The college plans to replace the existing 3,700-square-foot boathouse with a 7,500-square-foot structure in a similar location on the parcel.
At the commission's last meeting, concerns were raised by abutters related to stormwater draining and work encroaching on their property. The panel has since visited the site and the applicant altered the plan to put drainage into a drywell that goes to a reservoir and is no longer doing work on a neighboring property.
Van Der Kar had one concern about the reservoir possibly getting flooded if high-elevation water goes into the porous pavement proposed for the project and the applicant agreed to continue that discussion.
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