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The EPA’s New England office — which serves six states and ten tribal nations — has been run by an acting administrator for three months. Deborah Szaro, the deputy regional administrator, took over in January after the former administrator stepped down to become the assistant administrator of the EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. The […]

It’s not just bridges that have fallen into decay because of decades of deferred maintenance, VanDeusen said — it’s also culverts. By Heather Bellow, The Berkshire Eagle GREAT BARRINGTON — A steep hike in projected costs to repair the Cottage Street bridge might delay the bridge’s reopening — by at least five more years. Original […]

News Times By Robert Miller, Sunday, April 7, 2019 Photos: Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media     Who owns the rain? Who owns the water? Long Island Soundkeeper Bill Lucey asked those questions in February at a public hearing over the Aquarion water company’s plan to pump as much as a million gallons a […]

www.nepr.net     Some environmental groups say they’re frustrated with the lack of progress on talks over the cleanup of the Housatonic River. The key dispute is where to dispose of river sediment containing toxic PCBs. The EPA’s proposed cleanup plan calls for putting the toxic waste in out-of-state facilities approved by the agency. But […]

LENOX — Leaders of local environmental groups are prohibited from saying what’s afoot in talks over how industrial toxins will be removed from reaches of the Housatonic River. But they sounded off Thursday on what they see as shortcomings in how an appointed mediator, attorney John G. Bickerman, is running the show. “Get rid of […]

The land trust accreditation program recognizes land conservation organizations that meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. The Housatonic Valley Association is pleased to announce it is applying for renewal of its accreditation, initially awarded in 2014. A public comment period is now open. The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, […]

In a huge bipartisan victory for the local environment, the U.S. Senate has passed the Natural Resources Management Act, which includes reauthorization of the landmark Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). The Act now moves on to the House of Representatives. LWCF uses fees imposed on offshore oil and gas drilling leases to fund environmental conservation. […]

HVA has joined with the Town of New Milford and other area conservation organizations to urge Connecticut DEEP to enforce stricter individual permitting for the Candlewood Solar project. “The negative impact on water quality, both during clearing and construction and subsequent to the installation of this massive industrial energy project on what is now a […]

$49k NYSDEC grant supports “Trees for Tribs” efforts in the Ten Mile River and Green River watersheds The Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) has been awarded a significant grant from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) that will allow the organization and its partners to plant thousands of native trees and shrubs along […]

From Robert Miller, Danbury News Times: There’s a 202-acre collection of lands on Coltsfoot Mountain in Cornwall which the town’s Conservation Trust wants to preserve. The state of Connecticut agrees. This fall, the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection gave the trust a $404,300 grant toward the land’s purchase. But down in Washington, D.C., […]