Attorney General Seeks More Transparency from Rest of River (ROR); 14 days to Comply

Massachusetts Attorney General found, "We find that the [ROR] Committee violated the Open Meeting Law by discussing and taking action on a topic that was not included with sufficient specificity on the notice for the Committee's March 27 meeting."

The issue on the agenda of the mandated meeting is whether the five towns of the ROR should file an intervention supporting the placement of a PCB toxic waste disposal in The Berkshires and supporting what plaintiff called "a secret settlement".

Carrie Benedon, Assistant Attorney General, Division of Open Government, continued. "To remedy the lack of notice to the public, we order the Committee, within 14 days of issuance of this determination, to post adequate notice and again discuss and vote on the approval of expenditure of funds to enable legal counsel to prepare for and participate in oral argument in

support of the EPA's order in the Rest of River Cleanup Litigation. "

Update: Within the required 14 days a second, legal meeting was held and four of the five representatives voted to send the letter supporting the placement of a PCB toxic waste disposal in The Berkshires and supporting what plaintiff called "a secret settlement" over Lee's objection.

Senator Elizabeth Warren Steps in and Steps up

In a letter to David W. Cash, EPA Regional Administrator, Senator Warren called for "environmental justice and community input...Senator Warren's office will continue working with local state and federal officials to prioritize residents' health..."

Stockbridge Updates will follow the story and report. Click here to read letter to Senator Elizabeth Warren from the EPA

Image courtesy Carl Sprague