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The Way to Go

On Jan. 22 State Senator Ted Kennedy (D-12) and State Representative Noreen Kokoruda (R-101) attended Madison’s Board of Selectman meeting to provide input from a state perspective about the town passing an ordinance to ban fracking waste. Joe MacDougald, former selectman and environmental law professor at UConn, was also at the meeting and provided a legal perspective. Madison residents in attendance were encouraged by the information these experts presented that a town-by-town approach to pass such an ordinance is the way to go at this time.

Kennedy agreed with Kokoruda in hoping that the state would replace its temporary moratorium on the receipt of fracking waste with a more comprehensive and permanent ban, however, the senator shared that the state is very unlikely to replace the current temporary ban in the near future and expressed his support of Madison’s efforts to take this proactive measure.

MacDougald brought up what should be a key concern for the town: that toxic, radioactive fracked waste could be used as fill in the upcoming Academy School project. He suggested that Madison include protective wording for any company seeking to do town work.

Hopefully, everyone else in town will join the Madison residents who attended Jan. 22’s meeting and who have made calls and written about the issue, to support the board’s efforts to protect Madison residents in establishing the town ordinance.

If Madison passes a fracking waste ban, our town would join the ranks of 34 other Connecticut towns that have already passed ordinances to prohibit fracking waste.

This letter is written in support of both protective wording in bids from all companies planning to do work for the town and in support of the town fracking waste ban.

Jennifer H. Lee

Madison