Peer Review Meeting of the Model Calibration Report for the Housatonic River

PUBLIC NOTICE

May 4-5, 2005, Peer Review Meeting on the Model Calibration Report for GE/Housatonic River Site, Rest of River - Opportunity for Public Comment

This notice announces a Peer Review Meeting, May 4-5, 2005 at the Gateways Inn in Lenox, Massachusetts. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-New England is conducting a scientific Peer Review of the Model Calibration Report for General Electric (GE)/ Housatonic River Site, Rest of River. This model will be one of the tools used to evaluate cleanup alternatives for the Rest of River. During the Peer Review Meeting, Panel Members will deliberate on the Model Calibration Report, following questions laid out in the Charge for the Model Calibration.

During the meeting, members of the public will have the opportunity to address the Panel on questions laid out in the Charge. (See below for information on how to register to provide comment to the Panel.)

The Peer Review is being conducted in accordance with EPA's Peer Review Handbook and Appendix J to the Consent Decree lodged in the United States District Court of Massachusetts on October 7, 1999. EPA has retained SRA International, Inc. to independently administer the Peer Review process.

Following the Peer Review meeting, EPA will consider the comments from the Peer Review Panel members and prepare a written response to these comments prior to finalizing the Model Calibration Report.

The Model Calibration Peer Review Meeting will take place on Wednesday and Thursday, May 4-5, 2005 in the Main Dining Room of the Gateways Inn located at 51 Walker Street in Lenox, Massachusetts.

The Peer Review Panel will convene at 9 a.m. each day. Deliberations are scheduled to end at 5:00 p.m.; however the Panel reserves the right to deliberate longer each evening, as necessary. Members of the public may attend the meeting as observers. Observer registration will begin each day at 8:00 am. Time for breaks and lunch will be scheduled.

Members of the public will have an opportunity to address the Panel on questions laid out in the Charge on Wednesday, May 4 beginning at 9:00 a.m. However, once the Panel begins its deliberations, there will no longer be an opportunity for public comment or input of any kind during the meeting.

If you wish to provide comment at the Model Calibration Peer Review Meeting, you must register by April 27, 2005. Time for comment is limited, and only those who register by the April 27 deadline will be allowed to provide comment at the meeting.

Public comments must be related to the questions posed in the Charge for the Model Calibration. Each entity will be allotted an equal amount of time to comment, however this time will not exceed 30 minutes. Members of the Peer Review Panel may ask questions of public commenters; however time for question and response does not count against the commenter’s allotted time.

To register to comment, provide your contact information no later then Wednesday, April 27, 2005 to:

    Beth Nerrie, SRA Housatonic Peer Review
    Telephone: (800) 922-1566
    Fax: (703) 516-9108
    Email: gepittsfield@sra.com
    Register Online

Everyone who has registered will be informed by phone or e-mail by April 29 on the maximum amount of time that they will have to speak.

The full text of the Charge for the Model Calibration, the Model Calibration Report, EPA’s Peer Review Handbook and Appendix J to the Consent Decree, as well as other related documents including a list of the Panel Members and public comments on the Model Calibration Report received during the comment period are available through links on this web site.

Copies of the Model Calibration Report and the full text of the Charge for the Model Calibration, as well as other information on the site are available for review at the following locations:

    Berkshire Athenaeum Public Library Reference Depart., 1 Wendell Ave., Pittsfield MA
    Simons Rock College of Bard Library, 84 Alford Rd., Great Barrington MA
    Cornwall Public Library, Pine St., Cornwall CT
    Kent Memorial Library (Kent Library Association), 32 North Main St., Kent CT
    Housatonic Valley Association, Cornwall Bridge CT
    EPA Records Center, One Congress St., Suite 1100, Boston MA
    Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, 436 Dwight St., Suite 500, Springfield MA
    Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, 79 Elm St., Hartford CT

For technical and logistical questions about the Peer Review process, contact Beth Nerrie at the SRA Housatonic Peer Review toll-free line at (800) 922-1566 or by e-mail at gepittsfield@sra.com

For general questions or information about the GE/Housatonic River site, contact Angela Bonarrigo, U.S. EPA, Region 1, Community Involvement Coordinator by telephone at (617) 918-1034 or e-mail at bonarrigo.angela@epa.gov