The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Legislator calls for hearing on proposal
Torrington mayor to Cook: Hearing is premature; no application filed with city
TORRINGTON >> State Rep. Michelle Cook (D-65th) has asked the city to hold a public hearing on a proposal to connect a housing development in Goshen to Torrington’s sewer system. But since no application has been submitted to the City Council, Mayor Elinor Carbone says a hearing is premature.
The proposed construction of a pipeline from the Woodridge Lake housing development in Goshen to the municipal system was approved by the city’s Inlands and Wetlands Commission in September. In October, the Torrington Water Company sent a letter to its customers, citing the potential for the watershed area to be affected by a break in the pipeline and asking people to oppose it.
After residents contacted Cook with similar concerns, the legislator reached out to the mayor.
Cook sent out a release Thursday morning saying that she sent a letter to Carbone “urging her to schedule public hearings sooner rather than later regarding the Woodridge Lake Sewer District’s (WLSD) proposed sewer project,
but before there are any decisions made.”
“Many residents have relayed to me that they are strongly opposed to this project and I believe they should have a fair opportunity to express their thoughts at a public hearing,” Rep. Cook said Thursday. “A public hearing would additionally allow the opportunity for residents to learn the facts, ask questions, and share their concerns about this project.”
In her release, Cook noted concerns previously enumerated by the Torrington Water Company, as well as her concern for the safety of city residents.
“The health and safety of my constituents is my number one priority,” Cook said. “I felt compelled to write a letter to the mayor because this is an issue that affects thousands of Torrington residents. They deserve an opportunity to express their concerns and be heard.”
Carbone said Thursday that since no application had been received, and holding a hearing now would not be appropriate.
“We have no data; we have no information,” said Carbone. “It’s premature for us to consider a public hearing.”
Any such application, Carbone said Thursday, would first be presented to the City Council, acting in its capacity as the Water Pollution Control Authority. A hearing would be scheduled at that time, she said, and facts regarding the proposal would be presented.
Carbone said she previously spoke with Cook regarding the project, and suggested that the legislator contact the Department of Energy and Enivronmental Protection.
The Thursday release, Carbone said, was sent as part of a “political game.” Cook is running for a fifth term in office on the Nov. 8 ballot.
In a statement, Carbone said Thursday that she had spoken directly to Cook on Sunday, and told her that the city had not yet received a formal request from the Woodridge Lake Sewer District.
“It is imperative to this administration that all decisions be based upon a thorough review and consideration of all information available. That has been the charge of the Water Pollution Control Authority (city council) and my office. Absent all of the information and a formal request from WLSD, a public hearing would not provide the public or WPCA with a fair assessment of the proposal at this time,” wrote Carbone. “Rest assured, once this request has been made, there will be a public hearing to allow for the WPCA and the public to hear the facts: including the proposed route, type of construction, any real or perceived environmental impact to our water supply and, if approved, how the costs of construction, repayment of debt service and future operating expenses would be determined. It is at that public hearing the citizens of Torrington would be given the formal opportunity to voice their concerns and recommendations directly to the WPCA before any decision is made.”
Carbone noted Thursday that she shares Cook’s concern for the safety of residents.
“We all feel that there’s nothing more important than a healthy drinking water supply,” said Carbone.
The Inlands and Wetlands Commission gave its approval for a plan for such a pipeline on Sept. 20.
As proposed, the Torrington portion of the pipeline would run along Route 4 from the Goshen/ Torrington line to Lovers Lane, then on to Riverside Avenue. The Goshen portion of the line, according to Torrington City Planner Martin Connor, would run from Route 63 to Pie Hill Road, then to East Street South and Route 4.
In its letter, Torrington Water Company officials said that a break in the pipeline “could result in the discharge of raw sewage onto the watershed area which could impact our Allen Dam reservoir (located off Route 4),” and noted that “we consider the proposed route to be unacceptable and we are mounting vigorous opposition to its approval.”
Inlands and Wetlands Officer Rista Malanca said recently that protection of the watershed is not under the purview of the Inlands and Wetlands Commission — rather, that body’s only focus is the potential impact of a project on wetlands and/or watercourses.
She said expert testimony presented to the commission during its consideration of the matter indicated that there was not likely to be an impact on wetlands or watercourses as a result of the project, and that the possibility of a break in the line does not rise to the standard of “reasonable likelihood” of pollution or damage to wetlands. The pipes for part of the project, Malanca said, are designed to withstand a greater PSI (pounds per square inch of pressure) than the prospective flow through the sewer line. In the event of a break in the pipe, additional security measures would be taken in the sensitive area of the watercourse it runs through.
The proposed route has been determined to be the best available option, according to Malanca, as it is the most cost-effective and any break would be quite noticeable as the pipeline runs along Route 4.