October 18, 2024: Housatonic River Day 

Clean Water act of 1948 (CWA) was the first passed “to prevent, reduce, and eliminate pollution in the nation’s water in order to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity nation’s waters.”

It was amended in 1972 to regulate pollution giving authority over the CWA to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The Town of Lee, pointing out that the EPA is now presiding over an inadequate cleanup of a major pollution of the Housatonic River, proclaimed October 18th Housatonic River Day. The proclamation read: 

“Whereas 52 years ago the Clean Water Act passed to regulate pollutants into the waters of the United States and,

Whereas the Housatonic River flows through the heart of Lee and the Berkshires, and,

Whereas the town of Lee seeks a proper cleanup of the river that General Electric polluted with PCBs and now refuses to adequately remediate,

Now therefore be it resolved that I, Gordon D. Bailey, Chairman of the Select Board of Lee Massachusetts, do hereby proclaim that October 18, 2024, be known as Save the Housatonic Day.”

Select Board member, Bob Jones, added, “By establishing Housatonic Day, Lee is drawing attention to a situation that affects thousands of us in many towns in more than one state.”