Berkshire Mall Road Getting $10M in Stimulus Funding

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LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The long-delayed Berkshire Mall road is among 33 priority projects targeted for a second round of stimulus funding totaling more than $165.6 million.

The list released by the Patrick administration on Monday includes $10,128,284 for the two-mile roadway. It is a public road operated by the Baker Hill Road District with the Berkshire Mall its only taxpayer.

The main connector between Routes 7 and 8 has been waiting for state funding for more than decade but heavy traffic has severely deteriorated the road over its 20-year existence. The surface has gotten so bad, some ambulance services have refused to use it.

Built primarily as an access road to the mall, reconstruction plans signify its importance as a connector between North and Central Berkshire's main north/south highways.

The project includes widening sections of the winding road and eliminating the need to enter into the traffic ring around the mall. Instead, the road will run straight to Route 8 with right- and lefthand turns into the mall drive. It will include full reconstruction, resurfacing, guardrails, granite curbs, traffic signals, retaining walls signage and drainage improvements, along with work on the bridge.


Construction is expected to begin in 2010, if an agreement can be hammered out with two other stakeholders bordering the byway, Pittsfield and Petricca.

Also in the funding is $2.8 million for resurfacing First Street, Barker Road, Holmes Road and Valentime Road in Pittsfield.

"These projects put stimulus money and Massachusetts people to work," said Gov. Deval Patrick. "This administration is all about investing in our future, and these funds help."

The complete list can be found here.
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EPA Completes Review of Rose Disposal Pit

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has completed required comprehensive site cleanup reviews, known as "five-year reviews," of 12 Superfund sites on the National Priority List across Massachusetts. 
 
This includes the Rose Disposal Pit in Lanesborough.
 
The Rose Disposal Pit site is a 1-acre area contaminated with waste oils, solvents, and hazardous materials disposed of by General Electric from 1951 to 1959. In 1980, the site was found to contain 15,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil and two plumes of polluted groundwater. Since then, various measures have been taken to address the contamination, including soil removal, groundwater treatment, and the establishment of long-term protective systems.
 
The EPA has conducted multiple five-year reviews to ensure that the site's cleanup efforts remain protective of human health and the environment. The most recent review confirmed that the ongoing groundwater treatment continues to meet safety standards. Additionally, institutional controls, such as zoning restrictions, have been placed on the property to limit land use and protect the integrity of the cleanup.
 
The site has undergone significant remediation, including providing an alternate water supply to affected residents, treating contaminated soil and groundwater, and treating nearby surface water and sediments. All construction activities were completed by 1994, and groundwater treatment will continue until cleanup levels are met. The EPA requires ongoing monitoring and enforces activity restrictions to safeguard the site.
 
As required by law, EPA conducts reviews at Superfund sites after cleanup remedies have been implemented every five years. This comprehensive review of previous work helps ensure that EPA continues to evaluate the performance of cleanup efforts and determines whether any further action to protect human health or the environment is required. 
 
The Superfund program, a federal program established by Congress in 1980, investigates and cleans up the most complex, uncontrolled, or abandoned hazardous waste sites in the country and endeavors to facilitate activities to return them to productive use. 
 
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