Important Public Input Periods for the General Electric-Pittsfield Housatonic River Site Begins May 12, 2026, Public Meeting to be Held June 3, 2026

Important Public Input Periods for the General Electric-Pittsfield Housatonic River Site Begins May 12, 2026, Public Meeting to be Held June 3, 2026 

May 12, 2026

BOSTON -- Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the start of a public input period for General Electric's (GE) Final Remedial Design/Remedial Action Work Plan for Reach 5A of the Housatonic River (Final RD/RA Work Plan). GE has submitted this document for EPA's review and approval. 

Reach 5A includes approximately the first five miles of river downstream of the junction of the east and west branches of the Housatonic River in the City of Pittsfield. Cleanup activities in Reach 5A represent an important early milestone in a long-term, river-wide effort to reduce Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), restore natural river and floodplain functions, and protect human health and ecological resources while maintaining the character and uses of the Housatonic River. 

The Final RD/RA Work Plan presents final design details for the cleanup in this portion of the river. The design reflects years of assessments and planning, field surveys, field and laboratory studies, data evaluation, and coordination with EPA, state agencies, local municipalities, landowners, and community stakeholders. EPA will oversee GE's implementation of the Reach 5A cleanup throughout preparation, construction, restoration, and monitoring to ensure compliance with approved plans and achievement of protectiveness requirements. 

The Reach 5A cleanup includes the following key components:

• Removal of PCB contaminated sediments from the river channel and backwaters, riverbank soils, and residential and non-residential floodplain soils with PCB concentrations above EPA-established limits; 
• Placement of engineered sediment caps designed to remain protective during high flow and flood conditions; 
• Management of removed materials through onsite disposal (in an Upland Disposal Facility [UDF]) and offsite disposal, with the most highly impacted materials transported out of Massachusetts; 
• Enhancement and restoration of the river channel and riverbanks using ecologically based Natural Channel Design principles to reduce the potential for future erosion; and 
• Restoration of aquatic, riverbank, and floodplain habitats following remediation.

Approximately 200,000 cubic yards of sediment and soil are planned to be removed from the  Housatonic River and floodplain in Reach 5A. 

View the plan (pdf) (296 MB), including an overview of the work and the schedule (pages 1-4). Please note this plan provides the performance standards and specifications that GE must achieve for the cleanup. Information regarding the implementation of the cleanup (such as locations for off-site disposal, material procurement, and construction methods) of the cleanup will be issued in a Supplementary Information Package (SIP) to be submitted in the future. The SIP will be open for public input.  

GE has prepared a separate Restoration Plan for Reach 5A that establishes a comprehensive framework for restoring disturbed habitats and ecological functions affected by cleanup activities. The plan is designed to return the river and floodplain ecosystem to conditions comparable to pre-remediation baseline conditions and in many ways to improve the ecological and habitat conditions of the river and its floodplain. The Restoration Plan for Reach 5A can be found here (pdf) (137 MB).

EPA will hold a 90-day public input period for the Reach 5A Final Design Plan and the Restoration Plan, from May 12, 2026, to August 10, 2026. EPA will also be hosting a public meeting on these documents on June 3, 2026, during which GE will present its design. Details for this public meeting will be provided in a separate announcement. During the meeting there will be an opportunity for the public to ask EPA and GE questions on Final Design and Restoration Plan.  

To submit input, please send an email to [email protected].  Before making a final decision regarding this document, EPA will review and consider all public input received.

Learn more about the GE-Pittsfield/Housatonic River Site.