The first phase of the cleanup ended in 1999 with the cleansing and rehabilitation of the site where the waste originally came from, the Raymark Brake manufacturing company on Ferry Boulevard. That site is now occupied by the Stratford Crossing Shopping Center. The waste from the Raymark site was moved to Short Beach and the Raymark Memorial Ballfield, buried and capped there to prevent exposure to humans.
The sites happen to be very close to residential neighborhoods. According to EPA procedures, the capping process involves putting a protective layer of waterproof material over the waste, followed by clean layers of soil and then asphalt or turf over that. One of the options the EPA has touted was opening the ballfield and Short Beach sites back up and putting the new waste there. Though the EPA has not said that's only one option it's considering, the option was featured so prominently in its latest proposal to the town last summer that it had many residents worried.
Other options, including capping the waste in place or moving it out of town to a national site weren't readily touted by the EPA as a viable option, according to some Stratford residents. The EPA is due to come out with a decision sometime this summer. Stratford's state Republican representatives, state Sen. Dan Debicella, R-21 state Reps. John Harkins, R-120 and Larry Miller, R-122 recently wrote and sponsored a bill that would prevent the EPA from dumping toxic waste anywhere near residential neighborhoods throughout the state. The bill, if passed by the General Assembly would effectively stop the EPA from opening up the old waste sites for the new waste.
"We need to eliminate the frightening possibility of waking up one day and finding a toxic waste disposal site next door," said Debicella. "Stratford has been living this real possibility as the EPA has been considering consolidating Raymark waste next to residential neighborhoods. We want the General Assembly to take away the residential consolidation option for Raymark cleanup and protect all Connecticut residents from the possibility that something like this could some day happen to them."
Recently, the bill, known as "HB5606, An Act Prohibiting the Disposal or Storage of Toxic Waste Near Residential Property," passed the Environmental Committee, mainly due to the testimony of Stratford residents that went to Hartford to testify for the bill.
"While everyone agrees that Raymark waste is hazardous to human health, the EPA has proposed dumping a large quantity of this material in three residential neighborhoods regardless of the health effects on residents, impact on surrounding property values and Stratford's taxbase, said resident Tom Smith.
Resident Paul Rohaly appealed to the committee to help them and all Stratford residents with their plight. "To jeopardize our families is unconscionable and must be stopped," he said. "Dumping thousands of cubic yards at residents' property line is not acceptable and we need your help to stop it. My property, like most of my neighbors, is only a quarter-acre. There is no room for us to buffer ourselves against dumping asbestos at our property line."
Resident Krista Watson said she was troubled about having to testify against a threat that seems so obvious to human health and safety. "Part of me is surprised that I'm here today urging you to support a bill to prohibit storage or disposal of toxic waste in a residential neighborhood," Watson said. "It's appalling that we need a law to protect our community, and every community in our state from the threat of toxic waste consolidation near our homes, parks, schools, churches and community centers. No community should be forced to deal with the long term health, environmental and financial impacts of toxic waste near residential neighborhoods." The committee readily agreed, and passed the bill, a vote Harkins readily applauded.
"I am grateful to the Environment Committee for acting quickly and will be urging my colleagues in the House to join me in voting for this important bill," said Harkins. "We need a state law on the books to protect Stratford residents from the residential consolidation option for Raymark cleanup and to make sure that nothing similar can ever happen in any other Connecticut community." Debicella said the next step is to have House speaker Jim Amann, D-Milford, to bring it to the General Assembly floor for a vote. Debicella is confident of his chances. "We have a lot of bipartisan support for this bill," he said. "We have the Environmental chairman RichardRoy(D-Milford and Terry Backer, (Stratford, D-121), on board with us as well.