Volume 20, Number 23
Serving Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall
Green efforts feted
www.TownTimes.com
Friday, October 30, 2015
AND THEY’RE OFF
By Mark Dionne Town Times
The towns of Durham and Middlefield both earned Silver Awards from Energize CT’s Clean Energy Communities program. The towns were recognized for their environmental efforts at a ceremony at Wallingford’s Oakdale Theater. Durham First Selectman Laura Francis accepted the award for Durham and Jen Huddleston of Middlefield’s Clean Energy Task Force and Selectman Ed Bailey accepted for Middlefield. The awards recognize participation in home energy audits and reduced municipal energy use, among other factors. As Huddleston described it, “the efforts we make to transition our town to being greener.” See Green / Page 5
Cross country teams from local independent, parochial and public schools recently participated in The Independent Day School’s Cross Country Invitational through the school’s nature trails and around a scenic pond. Some of the local schools represented included Foote School, Country School, St. Timothy’s, Chase Collegiate, Hamden Hall, Portland, St. Bridget and St. John Paul II. The course was 1.6 miles.
EPA releases $9 million for Superfund project By Mark Dionne
of the permanent solution.” The project will connect the Superfund site on The Environmental Protec- Durham’s Main Street with tion Agency has announced Middletown public water the allocation of $9 million through a new water main. to begin the construction The water main will hook of a water system meant to up more than 100 properprovide clean drinking wa- ties within the site, including ter to the properties within three schools, and has the capability to supply water to Durham’s Superfund site. “For 30 years residents over 600 wells, if necessary. The $9 million allocation, have had fear of their water,” said Durham First Selectman issued in the fiscal year 2015, Laura Francis at a Town Hall is the first of two planned by ceremony on Oct. 26. “Today the EPA. Combined with $3 we announce the beginning million from Connecticut’s Town Times
Go to www.towntimes.com for complete coverage of the Tuesday, Nov. 3 election. • Ballot results. • Ongoing election coverage. • Breaking news.
Bond Commission, the funds will pay for the project, which officials refer to as costing “20-plus million.” The project has doubled in cost from earlier estimates of $10 million. Within the site, initial hookup to the public water will be done at no charge to the property owner, but the owner will be responsible for water bills. Depending on project delays, water usage could start in 2018. According to Anni Loughlin, EPA Project Man-
ager, the system will likely be turned on all at once. An EPA press release describes the origin of the site’s contaminated groundwater, stating “In the past, the Durham Manufacturing Company (operating) and the former Merriam Manufacturing Company polluted soil and groundwater with TCE and other chlorinated solvents in the area of Main Street in Durham. As a result, water in many private potable wells in See Superfund / Page 2