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The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency has completed its review of General Electric’s proposal to remove toxins from the Housatonic River.

This past spring G. E. submitted to the E.P.A. a list of clean-up choices for the Housatonic River from Pittsfield, Massachusetts down to the Derby Dam in Connecticut. Now the federal environmental agency is asking the company to address 150 issues before the government takes a stand on the clean–up.

For instance the E.P.A. wants more details on how G-E would restore habitat, and minimize the clean-up’s impact on the floodplain and endangered species. The E.P.A. also asked for justification of the proposed remedy for stretches of the river in Connecticut—which doesn’t call for active removal of PCBs, but simply allows nature to take its course The E.P.A.is also asking for more information on the newest ways to destroy PCBs, and on the location of possible disposal sites for contaminated waste.

The government wrote its letter after receiving comments from 77 citizens on G.E.'s proposal. Many people wrote against disposing the waste in the Berkshires. One woman asked if the engineers who created the PCBs could find a way to render them non-toxic.  A G.E. spokesperson says the company’s scientists and legal staff will take a careful look at the government’s letter. The E.P.A. is giving the company 90 days to address its concerns.

Photos by billandkent.  See their photostream on Flickr.