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ECOLOGICAL RISK ASSESSMENT FOR THE HOUSATONIC RIVER
Citation:
Impact/Purpose:
The Ecological Risk Assessment is being conducted to support the evaluation of the potential for unacceptable risk to ecological receptors from exposure to PCBs and other contaminants of concern in the Housatonic River and its floodplain from the GE facility located at Pittsfield, MA. The ERA will be used to support EPA's findings in the Statement of Basis for the Site.
Description:
The Ecological Risk Assessment will evaluate risks to ecological receptors from contaminants of concern from the GE Pittsfield Facility. The primary COC will be PCBs. Risks to the benthic community, fish community, amphibians, insectivorous birds, piscivorous birds and mammals, and threatened and endangered species will be evaluated. For each assessment endpoint, three lines of evidence will be used where possible. These will be: site specific field studies; site specific laboratory studies; and literature reviews applied in a weight of evidence approach.