Berkshire, MA
Transparent derived index from EPA TRI / SDWIS / Superfund extracts: not an official EPA rating. Fixed caps: facilities ≤25 pts (50+ = max), log10 releases ≤25 pts, Superfund ≤25 pts (5/site), health-violation systems ≤15 pts (3/system), high-chemical facilities ≤10 pts. Bands: High ≥60, Moderate ≥30. See methodology.
Environmental data for Berkshire in Massachusetts · Population: 128,047
TRI sites such as Onyx Specialty Papers Inc. - Willow Mill; O'Connell Oil Co Merrill Road Facility; Pittsfield Generating Co LP; SDWIS systems such as PITTSFIELD DPU WATER DEPT; NORTH ADAMS WATER DEPT; LENOX DPW WATER DIVISION; NPL sites such as GE - Housatonic River; Rose Disposal Pit anchor Berkshire, MA's EPA extract. Derived burden score 49/100 (Moderate Risk) uses fixed national caps on density, log release volume, Superfund count, and health-flagged systems - not an official EPA rating.
Health-flagged SDWIS rows in Berkshire include PITTSFIELD DPU WATER DEPT; NORTH ADAMS WATER DEPT; LEE WATER DEPT, while Onyx Specialty Papers Inc. - Willow Mill leads reported TRI pounds among local Form R filers. AQS median AQI 38 / peak 97 in 2024.
Burden score 49/100 (Moderate Risk) is the only weighted composite on this page. The tables below list every TRI facility, SDWIS system, and Superfund site EPA has on record for Berkshire -- not just the names called out above -- reproducing the disclosure history as filed, not a current-safety verdict. Extract current as of 2026-08-25.
Release-over-release change
What changed for Berkshire, MA: EPA TRI 2023 reporting year
Same facilities, both years
-37.9%
8 facilities that filed in 2022 and 2023
Whole inventory
-37.9%
49.5 thousand lb → 30.7 thousand lb, every facility that filed
- Berkshire, MA's total reported releases fell from 49.5 thousand lb in 2022 to 30.7 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- Berkshire, MA's off-site transfers fell from 13.2 thousand lb in 2022 to 907 lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- Berkshire, MA's air releases fell from 33.7 thousand lb in 2022 to 27.5 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
- Berkshire, MA's land releases fell from 1.4 thousand lb in 2022 to 1.1 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
Air Quality History (2020–2024)
EPA Air Quality Index (AQI) data showing how many days per year fall into each air quality category.
| Year | Good | Moderate | Unhealthy (SG) | Max AQI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 300 (82%) | 66 | 0 | 97 |
| 2023 | 257 (70%) | 101 | 4 | 170 |
| 2022 | 269 (74%) | 96 | 0 | 87 |
| 2021 | 230 (63%) | 134 | 1 | 103 |
| 2020 | 278 (76%) | 88 | 0 | 94 |
Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) Annual AQI by County AQI categories: Good (0-50), Moderate (51-100), Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (101-150), Unhealthy (151-200), Very Unhealthy (201-300), Hazardous (301+)
For real-time air quality readings and pollutant breakdowns in Massachusetts, see the EPA's AirNow.gov.
Water Systems (38)
| System | System pop (SDWIS) | Violations |
|---|---|---|
| PITTSFIELD DPU WATER DEPT | 43,927 | 1 |
| NORTH ADAMS WATER DEPT | 13,000 | 2 |
| LENOX DPW WATER DIVISION | 9,800 | 0 |
| ADAMS FIRE DISTRICT | 7,945 | 0 |
| WILLIAMSTOWN WATER DEPT | 7,326 | 0 |
| DALTON FIRE DISTRICT | 6,330 | 0 |
| LEE WATER DEPT | 5,686 | 1 |
| GREAT BARRINGTON FIRE DIST | 4,380 | 6 |
| STOCKBRIDGE WATER DEPT | 2,800 | 1 |
| LANESBOROUGH FIRE AND WATER DISTRICT | 2,342 | 1 |
| CHESHIRE WATER DEPT | 1,407 | 0 |
| HOUSATONIC WATER WORKS | 1,391 | 7 |
| EGREMONT WATER DEPT | 1,000 | 1 |
| JIMINY PEAK RESORT | 1,000 | 0 |
| HINSDALE WATER DEPT | 1,000 | 2 |
| WEST STOCKBRIDGE WATER DEPT | 535 | 0 |
| BARD COLLEGE AT SIMONS ROCK | 500 | 0 |
| BERKSHIRE SCHOOL | 425 | 0 |
| TWIN OAKS MHP MIDLAND | 234 | 68 |
| WHITE PINES CONDOMINIUMS | 225 | 1 |
| SWEET WOOD RETIREMENT COMMUNITY | 200 | 0 |
| BRIGGSVILLE WATER DISTRICT | 180 | 1 |
| BEAVER POND MEADOWS | 160 | 0 |
| MILL RIVER WATER TAKERS ASSOCIATION | 150 | 8 |
| MONTEREY WATER COMPANY | 138 | 0 |
| BERKSHIRE REHAB SKILLED CARE CTR | 100 | 0 |
| GOULD FARM | 93 | 0 |
| SOUTHFIELD WATER COMPANY | 80 | 0 |
| BISSELVILLE ESTATE | 74 | 0 |
| ASHMERE WATER SERVICE | 66 | 0 |
| HERON POND AT STOCKBRIDGE | 50 | 0 |
| WAUBEEKA SPRINGS | 50 | 0 |
| HIGH LAWN FARM | 43 | 1 |
| VIEW DRIVE WATER ASSOCIATION | 38 | 1 |
| GREYLOCK ESTATES HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION | 25 | 1 |
| BARTOWS MOBILE HOME PARK | 25 | 0 |
| ORONOQUE CONDOMINIUM TRUST | 25 | 0 |
| SWEET FARM HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION | 25 | 0 |
TRI Facilities (11)
| # | Facility | Total Releases |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Onyx Specialty Papers Inc. - Willow Mill | 135.9K lbs |
| 2 | O'Connell Oil Co Merrill Road Facility | 28.8K lbs |
| 3 | Pittsfield Generating Co LP | 22.4K lbs |
| 4 | Berkshire Concrete Corp | 8.8K lbs |
| 5 | Specialty Minerals Inc | 5.6K lbs |
| 6 | Holland Co | 6 lbs |
| 7 | Crane & Co. Inc. | 0 lbs |
| 8 | Crane Pioneer Mill | 0 lbs |
| 9 | Northeast Paving Lenoxdale Facility | 0 lbs |
| 10 | Tog Manufacturing | 0 lbs |
| 11 | Interprint Inc | 0 lbs |
Superfund Sites (2)
| Site Name | Status | HRS Score |
|---|---|---|
| GE - Housatonic River | Proposed NPL Site | 70.71 |
| Rose Disposal Pit | NPL Site | 33.03 |
Cities in Berkshire (26)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the environmental risk level in Berkshire, Massachusetts? ▼
Are there Superfund sites in Berkshire? ▼
How many toxic release facilities are in Berkshire? ▼
What is the air quality in Berkshire? ▼
Is the drinking water safe in Berkshire? ▼
What environmental agencies cover Berkshire? ▼
What does this county environmental profile show?
This county environmental profile rolls up EPA Toxics Release Inventory facility reports, Safe Drinking Water Information System public-water-system filings, and Superfund National Priorities List sites for the county boundary defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. Facility counts reflect facilities with a reporting address inside the county, not where downstream environmental effects may be observed. Population figures are from the most recent Census ACS 5-year estimate. The county detail page is updated whenever the upstream EPA programs publish revised data; see the methodology page for the documented ingest cadence and the editorial choices governing how aggregations are computed.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.