HOUSATONIC RIVER - DANGER

 
The Housatonic River runs from approximately Pittsfield MA, through Connecticut and flows into Long Island Sound. You can see canoeist getting ready to run the rapids and on the left bank you can see some fisherman. It is one of the most beautiful rivers I have seen. But the problem is, this is one of the most polluted rivers in the country. Between 1932 and 1977, General Electric dumped, accidentally or deliberately, PCB’s into the river. Estimates range from 20 to 750 tons of PCB’s in their plant just south of Pittsfield MA. About 10 miles south of the plant is the Wood Pond Dam which has trapped a lot of the PCB’s. “The EPA found that people consuming Housatonic River fish and waterfowl, especially above the dam, are up to 1000 times more likely to be stricken with cancer and other maladies, such as reproductive problems.” Ducks that live on the river are also contaminated with PCB’s. “Average concentrations in these waterfowl are more than 200 times EPA’s tolerance level for human consumption and there carcasses must be handled as HAZARDOUS WASTE.”

Info: www.americanrivers.org