The Long Road of North Stamford's Landfill Advocates

For the Environment, advocates to the closure and cleanup of the , have endured long waits and have participated in many public meetings throughout 2011 in order to make progress in closing the landfill.

"There's a handful of things where we're seeing some progress, and its encouraging," NSCCE board member Jay Crutcher said. Crutcher, a long-time member of NSCCE and North Stamford resident, was present for a July public hearing in which landfill closure . At that time, it was unclear what the end-use of the landfill space would be.

"The city just approved the monitoring plan...now they can begin the actual work process," Crutcher said about recent landfill-closure activity.

According to Crutcher, the monitoring plan will start a process of seasonal water and soil testing at the Scofieldtown landfill to best to understand what is happening with the "industrial wastes that were buried there decades ago".

"We're also keeping a close eye on soil contamination that was found in the last two years at the .  Most recently, a Phase II Environmental Site Assessment was issued in June 2011 -- it identified several locations with chlordane, dieldrin, arsenic, DDT and other hazardous chemicals at unlawful levels in the soil," Crutcher said.  "We are advocating for prompt and thorough cleanup of this municipal property -- the Arboretum is a wonderful place and deserves to be treated with respect and care.

Crutcher also describes a well-testing ordinance project that NSCCE is waiting for, and begins in January. "The Board of Representatives created this project to answer some festering concerns about the geographic spread of well water contamination, and also to fulfill the City's mandate to protect public health," Crutcher said.

NSCCE opened the year by from Mayor Michael Pavia which granted them more involvement with North Stamford well-water monitoring, testing, and cleanup.

"...We're pleased to see progress is being made, but NSCCE won't be satisfied until all these questions have been thoroughly addressed, and until the problems have been fixed as appropriate.  There are real public health issues at stake, and the families and children in this area deserve real answers," Crutcher stated.

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