Pontoosuc Lake Annual Drawdown Project

 

 

Information Session Scheduled – Thursday June 22 at 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM

The Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) requires a comprehensive review and opportunity for public input on projects that exceed certain sizes and require a State-issued permit or utilize State monies. Because the Pontoosuc Lake Annual Drawdown Project (the Project) will seasonally alter wetlands and waterbodies, requires a State permit, and is funded by a State agency, the Project is currently undergoing MEPA Review. In addition, MEPA requires any project within 1 mile of a State-designated Environmental Justice population to conduct additional informational outreach to those populations to seek their engagement in the MEPA review and permitting processes.

On behalf of the Department of Conservation and Recreation Office of Dam Safety, GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. is hosting a “drop-in” information session for the re-permitting of the annual drawdown of Pontoosuc Lake. This information session is part of the outreach effort required by Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) and in accordance with the MEPA Environmental Justice Protocols. The information session is scheduled for Thursday June 22 from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM at the John T. Reid Middle School Cafeteria at 950 North Street, Pittsfield. No formal presentation will be made, and community members are invited to attend for any portion of the scheduled time to ask questions and receive information. More information is available here.

Project Status Update

The Department of Conservation and Recreation Office of Dam Safety (DCR ODS) filed an Expanded Environmental Notification Form (EENF) in January 2023. You can access the EENF and the Secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Certificate (“Secretary’s Certificate”) on the Project below. Public comments were accepted by the MEPA Office and are attached to the Secretary’s Certificate. At this time, the DCR ODS has prepared a Single Environmental Impact Report (SEIR) for the second round of MEPA review. This SEIR will be submitted to the MEPA Office on or before June 30 for review in July. We anticipate that the Secretary will issue findings on the SEIR in August 2023. After those findings are issued, DCR ODS will prepare and submit permit applications to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, the City of Pittsfield Conservation Commission, and the Town of Lanesborough Conservation Commission. Each of these permit applications will be advertised in the Public Notices section of the Berkshire Eagle and lake abutters will be directly notified by mail. A summary of the SEIR is available here.

Secretary’s Certificate Issued on EENF

The Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) has issued a Certificate on the Pontoosuc Lake Annual Drawdown Project Expanded Environmental Notification Form (EENF) submitted in January 2023. The Secretary’s Certificate provides a summary of the Project information, a scope for the Environmental Impact Report, and all comments submitted by the public or other State Agencies. The Secretary approved the request to prepare a Single Environmental Impact Report (SEIR), which is currently being drafted. This SEIR will be reviewed by the MEPA Office and available for public comment once submitted.

You can read the Secretary’s Certificate here.

MEPA Consultation Meetings Scheduled

The MEPA Office will conduct both an in-person site visit and a remote consultation session. The public is welcome to participate in either or both of the meetings. The focus of the in-person site visit will be to observe existing and proposed site conditions. The remove consultation session will include a presentation about the project and an opportunity to ask questions.

In-person site visit: 1:00 PM on Tuesday, February 14, 2023 at the parking lot near the boat ramp at 40 Hancock Road, Pittsfield.

Remove consultation session: 6:00 PM on Wednesday, February 15, 2023. Please submit a comment through the submission box at the bottom of this page to receive the link if you did not already receive it directly from the MEPA Analyst.

MEPA Comments are due on or before February 24, 2023.

Secretary’s Certificate due on March 3, 2023.

Comments may be submitted to the MEPA Analyst directly at alexander.strysky@mass.gov or at Mass.Gov - MEPA Public Comments (state.ma.us).

Note: MEPA has assigned the Pontoosuc Lake Annual Drawdown Project file number EEA 16656, please use this file number if submitting public comments.

Expanded Environmental Notification Form Filed with Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) Office

On January 17, 2023, the Expanded Environmental Notification Form (EENF) for the Pontoosuc Lake Annual Drawdown Project was filed with the MEPA Office. The EENF can be viewed and downloaded here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/qq3mu8kuw4omwx5/EENF_Pontoosuc_Lake_Drawdown_01-17-2023.pdf?dl=0

The public notice will appear on January 19, 2023 in the Berkshire Eagle. The Project will also be published in the Environmental Monitor, scheduled to appear on January 25, 2023. Once the EENF is published in the Environmental Monitor, a MEPA Analyst will be assigned to review the project. Public comments can be submitted via email to the MEPA analyst listed in the Environmental Monitor or to MEPA@mass.gov. The Environmental Monitor can be viewed here: https://eeaonline.eea.state.ma.us/EEA/MEPA-eMonitor/home
 

Meetings

**Meeting Update**
Due to the forecast, the public meetings will be held on Thursday, December 8, 2022 at 3:00PM and 5:30 PM. 
The meeting location remains at the boat ramp parking lot located at 40 Hancock Road, Pittsfield.

An onsite public meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, December 6, 2022. Meetings will be held at 3:00 PM and 5:30 PM at the boat ramp parking lot at 40 Hancock Road, Pittsfield, MA 01201. The planned snow/rain date for these meetings is on Thursday December 8, 2022. This website will be updated if the meeting must be rescheduled to the rain date.

Project Meeting Location

 

Project Description

The Project is the ongoing annual drawdown of Pontoosuc Lake through the operation of an existing slide gate in the dam designed for a 3-foot drawdown of the the lake water surface over the winter to prevent ice damage to the dam and provide spring floodwater storage. Pontoosuc Lake is an approximately 541-acre lake.  The drawdown has been conducted as a permitted activity for many years and is now being re-permitted. No structural alterations to the dam or any other property is proposed.

 

Potential Environmental Justice Impacts:

There are no short-term or long term environmental or public health impacts that may affect Environmental Justice populations associated with this Project. No construction or emissions are associated with the temporary, seasonal drawdown. The Lake is restored to its normal pool level annually so that it can continue to provide recreational benefits to the community.

 

Environmental Justice Benefits:

The Project reduces risk of lake ice buildup that can damage the dam structure. If the lake were maintained at its full height throughout the winter, accumulated ice could scour the upstream side of dam. Damage to the structure of the dam increases risk of failure during flood events that raise the height of water against the dam.  By lowering the water level prior to winter ice formation on the lake, these risks are reduced, and the dam is better protected.

The drawdown also creates flood storage capacity and protect the dam structure from significant over-topping which could damage the dam and lead to structural failure, exposing downstream communities to significant flood risk. Failure of the dam would have catastrophic impacts to downstream communities that are located in the dam break flood plain and the surrounding environment.  As such, the drawdown is an Environmental Benefit in that it protects downstream communities from risk.