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GE 'Disappointed,' Could Appeal EPA Cleanup Plan

The EPA proposes cleaning PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, from more than 400 acres along a 10.5-mile stretch of the Housatonic River in Massachusetts.

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. (AP) — General Electric says it's "disappointed" by a decision upholding the Environmental Protection Agency's plan that requires the company to clean chemicals from a western Massachusetts river.

The Berkshire Eagle reports that General Electric issued a statement Wednesday indicating that it may appeal Tuesday's decision upholding the $613 million proposal. It would have a 30-day window after the EPA issues its final cleanup permit.

The EPA proposes cleaning PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, from more than 400 acres along a 10.5-mile stretch of the Housatonic (hoos-uh-TAH'-nihk) River in Pittsfield and Lenox. It includes dredging and trucking contaminated soil and sediment to an out-of-state facility.

The decision by the EPA's Boston office says GE's argument that the removal requirements are "arbitrary" and "unlawful" fails to present sufficient information to dispute the agency's plan.