Date: Fri 23-May-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

Apple-Blossom-contamination

Full Text:

Last-Minute Changes In Contamination Clean-Up Plan Delay Remedy Once Again

B Y K AAREN V ALENTA

Unhappy with the latest developments in the water contamination problem in the

Apple Blossom Lane area, local officials disagreed this week about whether to

push for state funding this month.

"We'll go before the State Bond Commission this month - we want to get the

funding going," said Jim Smith, chairman of the Newtown Health District board,

at Monday's health district meeting.

But First Selectman Bob Cascella said on Tuesday that he's not happy with the

latest modifications made by the State Department of Environmental Protection

(DEP) to the "Final Report on Groundwater Contamination and Water Supply

Alternatives" which was prepared by SEA Consultants, Inc, of Rocky Hill, the

town's engineering consultants.

"I'm still not satisfied," Mr Cascella said. "I'd rather do it right than

agree to the changes just to get the funds approved this month."

Mr Cascella said he spoke with Rep Julia Wasserman about the problem and

probably will contact DEP Commissioner Sidney J. Holbrook.

Mr Cascella, Mr Smith, and Donna McCarthy, the health district's environmental

health director, went to Hartford late last week for a meeting with Elsie

Patton, Naomi Davidson, and William Warzecha of the DEP's Bureau of Water

Management. (Health District Director Mark A.R. Cooper did not attend because

he had been called for jury duty.)

At the meeting local officials learned that the DEP planned to revise the

remediation plan again, this time to hook up fewer residential properties to

the proposed water main extension along Apple Blossom Road and Cedar Hill

Road. The wells of those homes not hooked up would be tested periodically; if

contaminants are found later, then the DEP would pay for the hook-up.

Otherwise, homeowners would have the option to pay for the hook-up themselves

now.

A Small Savings

The DEP representatives did not give local officials a list of which houses

will not be hooked up but indicated that about a dozen additional properties

were involved, a savings to the state of $100,000 to $150,000 in a project

estimated at costing $1.8 million over the next 20 years.

"They're not going with Plan A, not doing the full loop of the water main,"

Donna McCarthy said. "They didn't give us a revised plan because they said

they don't need one to go the bond commission. Instead, they took the last

copy of Plan A and simply drew on it."

"Mr Cascella pointed out that the DEP had promised to hold another public

information meeting and said it should happen soon," Ms McCarthy said.

Mr Cascella told The Newtown Bee that he wants the DEP to compare the cost of

testing the wells repeatedly over the next 15 years with the cost of simply

doing the hook-ups now.

"What the DEP is proposing doesn't make sense to me," he said.

Mr Cascella also said he spoke with Kevin Moran, general manager of the United

Water Company, about the hook-up process. "He wants to help us, but we haven't

worked out anything yet," the first selectman said.

On Wednesday, Rep Wasserman said that testing wells normally isn't a bad idea

from a scientific point of view, "but when the total cost of hooking up those

homes is only $150,000, it should be done now."

"I think it's worth pursuing this to the commissioner because the town's last

appeal will be with the commissioner," she said. "I told (Mr Cascella) I'd be

willing to go to the commissioner, but I can't do it this week because the

legislature is still in session until next week and too many important bills

are still being voted on."

Rep Wasserman said town officials should consult with the town attorney for an

opinion on whether pursuing the state funding from the bond commission this

month would preclude them from increasing the number of hook-ups later.

Look For Funding

At Monday's meeting, the health board members said the health district should

look for additional funding sources to try to "fill in the gap" between what

the DEP has offered to pay and what local officials believe is necessary. They

also said more communication is needed between all the agencies and the

homeowners who live in the area where traces of the contaminant

tetrachloroethene (PCE) were found in residential wells.

"We asked the DEP to put into writing to the homeowners that the reason (some)

aren't being serviced (with a hook-up to the water main) is because the DEP

believes there won't be a problem there," Donna McCarthy said. "That's

important if a homeowner wants to sell a house or refinance."

In addition to these "comfort letters" from the DEP, the health district

should send an update on the project to homeowners in the Apple Blossom/Cedar

Hill area, the board agreed.

"I think they should know about every effort we are making to resolve this

problem," said board member Audrey Grasso.

A dozen property owners on Apple Blossom Lane sent a joint letter to

Commissioner Holbrook on May 12 expressing their concern about the limited

amount of hook-ups which the DEP is planning and about the "very limited

testing" which the DEP intends to do in the area after the water main is

completed.

"We feel strongly that this plan is short-sighted because the DEP cannot

possibly predict the future spread or direction of flow of the contamination

in our area," the letter said.

The letter pointed out that the trench digging and blasting necessary to

install a water main in the neighborhood may create fissures in the bedrock

and allow underground water and contaminants to flow in "new, unpredictable

and unexpected directions." Once the main is installed and the contaminated

wells are capped, the water table in the area may rise, also affecting the

flow of underground water and contaminants, the letter said.

"We strongly urge the DEP to consider the economically prudent solution, which

is to connect our homes to the water main as part of the current project. The

expense is small when compared to the total cost of the project and the future

cost of providing potable water to these homes one by one as their wells begin

to test contaminated," the homeowners said.