LEE - More than 200 people filled the auditorium at Lee High School on Wednesday night in the hopes of getting some answers about the proposed plan for the Housatonic River clean-up.

The main concern of the evening was a proposed landfill in Lee. While the most contaminated soil removed from the river will be shipped out of state, the rest will be brought to a new dump site.

Many residents, like the Housatonic River Initiative's Tim Gray,want to make sure their voices are heard.

“The fact that our selectmen signed this agreement to have a toxic dump in our hands without anybody in our towns knowing about it is an outrage. It’s not the democratic process," Gray said. 

The EPA says the landfill will be built 15 feet above the ground water table, and will be protected by a double liner. Monitoring wells will surround the landfill and will be used to periodically test for leaks.

General Electric, whose plant in Pittsfield polluted the river, will be responsible for operating and monitoring the landfill, with oversight from the EPA.

Environmental consultant Jeff Hershberger said, "The intent of these is to remove the vast majority of these PCBs from the environment and manage them appropriately using new techniques, innovative techniques. And, yes, one aspect of that is the landfill at the Lane site.”

While many acknowledged this is not a perfect solution. Mass Audubon’s Becky Cushing says this is the best option immediately available for the region.

Cushing said, “Right now, the river harbors toxic materials. It is a toxic waste dump, we’re living next to a toxic waste dump. The PCBs are moving through the river, through the food web, and we have to get them out of the river.”

The next public information session will be at 6 PM on Thursday night at Monument Mountain High School in Great Barrington.