Paul Mark Appointed to Cultural Economy Advisory Council

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BOSTON — The Healey Driscoll Administration appointed members of the Cultural Economy Advisory Council.
 
The group is comprised of public and private sector stakeholders charged with exploring policies that support artists and cultural organizations, examining ways to create economic opportunities in the arts and culture sector, and promoting cultural equity in the arts. Governor Healey established the council earlier this year to bolster Massachusetts' creative economy, which adds $27 billion to the state economy each year and supports 135,000 jobs across the state. 
 
"We are excited to kick off this effort to support our cultural economy, particularly as Massachusetts cultural and arts organizations host festivities celebrating the 250th anniversary of America's founding as part of our Massachusetts 250 initiative over the next two years,” said Governor Maura Healey. “Thank you to these council members who will help our administration identify ways to support artists and drive economic opportunity for this important sector." 
 
The council consists of representatives of the creative tourism community, performing arts sector, and state and local government and is co-chaired by Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao and Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism Executive Director Kate Fox. The Council will work in close partnership with the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the state's arts agency charged with bolstering the creative and cultural sector and will present recommendations for cultural development and jobs growth to Governor Healey.  
 
Cultural Policy Development Advisory Council Members: 
  • Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao (Co-Chair) 
  • Kate Fox, Executive Director, Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (Co-Chair) 
  • Michael Bobbitt, Executive Director, Massachusetts Cultural Council 
  • Tiffancy Allecia, Executive Director, Springfield Creative City Collective 
  • Luke Blackadar, Deputy Director, Arts & Business Council of Greater Boston 
  • Representative Mindy Domb, House Chair, Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development 
  • Magie Gaipo-Scott, Senior Director, Government Affairs & Legal Affairs, Museum of Fine Arts Boston 
  • Deborah Hall, Executive Director, YWCA of Central Massachusetts 
  • Candace "Lee" Heald, AHA! New Bedford 
  • Joyce Linehan, Assistant to the President for Special Projects, Massachusetts College of Art and Design 
  • Senator Paul Mark, Senate Chair, Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development 
  • Ming Min Hui, Executive Director, Boston Ballet 
  • Lynda Roscoe Hartigan, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Peabody Essex Museum 
  • Emily Ruddock, Executive Director, MassCreative  
  • Lindsey Schmid, Director of Marketing, 1Berkshire 
  • Annis Sengupta, Director of Arts and Culture, Metropolitan Area Planning Council  
  • Chad Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer, Boston Symphony Orchestra 
  • Julie Wake, Executive Director at Arts Foundation of Cape Cod 

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GE Plans for PCB Removal Gets OK

BOSTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved, with several conditions, the General Electric Company's Revised On-Site and Off-Site Transportation and Disposal Plan. GE's revised plan maximizes the use of rail and hydraulic pumping for the transport of sediments and soils in and along the Housatonic River that are contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls.
 
Approximately 75 percent to 80 percent of the material to be removed from the river will be transported hydraulically without the need for any trucks. Approximately 17 percent of the material can be transported by rail (combined with trucking). As little as approximately 5 percent of the material may be transported solely by truck to the Upland Disposal Facility, depending on the final transportation plans for Reach 5A and the successful implementation of the rail option.
 
The overall local round-trip truck trips are reduced by approximately 65 percent compared to GE's original plan that was submitted in October 2023. This will reduce local truck trips from an estimated 71,000 trips to approximately 24,600 trips.
 
EPA approved three locations for rail spurs for the loading/off-loading of material: Utility Drive in Pittsfield, Woods Pond/Berkshire Scenic Railroad in Lenox, and Rising Pond in Great Barrington. GE will submit to EPA for approval a pre-design investigation work plan that will propose sufficient data collection to allow for the design of the Utility Drive and the Woods Pond rail spurs. This work plan will be submitted no later than May 15.
 
This expedited schedule is necessary to ensure the rail spurs are operational when the Reach 5A (Pittsfield reach) remediation gets underway in 2027 or 2028. The design/construction of the rail spur at Rising Pond is not needed for approximately 10 years from now.
 
Although EPA concurred with the proposed use of rail, GE will develop a backup plan for the transportation of material via trucks. This is necessary because of potential capacity limitations, potential coordination issues with the sole operator of the railroad, staffing issues, equipment limitations, conflicts with freight shipments, accidents, and other issues that may prevent the use of rail needed to maintain the remediation schedule.
 
Material from Reach 5A (Pittsfield Reach) and from Rising Pond going to the UDF can be transported by rail to the Woods Pond/Berkshire Scenic Railroad in Lenox for off-loading and subsequent truck transport to the UDF. The three rail spurs can also be used to transport the 100,000 cubic yards of material that are required by the Final 2020 Cleanup Permit to be sent to off-site disposal facilities.
 
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