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Filled with Loopholes

A number of Clinton residents have become concerned that Connecticut law, Public Act 14-200, a temporary moratorium on sending fracking waste from Pennsylvania to Connecticut, is filled with loopholes. Worse, this same law requires the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection to submit regulations by July 1.

Our state is on path for permitting the storage, transfer, and treatment of toxic, radioactive fracking waste. This waste could also be used on roads as a de-icer or mixed in construction fill. Other states are being contaminated by thousands of accidents, leaks, spills, illegal disposal, runoff, and leaching into waterways and aquifers used for drinking water. Fracking waste tanker and dump trucks are crowding and damaging roadways.

The ordinance language has already passed in 33 other Connecticut towns and cities (and by county legislatures in New York). Please note: The proposed ordinance only prohibits waste derived from oil and gas exploration and extraction activities—in other words, the waste that comes out of wells where oil and gas is being drilled and where gas is stored underground in huge quantities, all outside of Connecticut.

A group of volunteers from Clinton has decided to help circulate a petition and collect signatures for a town meeting to allow residents to vote for an ordinance. In addition, there will be an informational meeting about this at the Henry Carter Hull Library in Clinton on Thursday. March 22 at 7:30 p.m. I encourage your readers to come and learn more about this important issue.

Jim Beloff

Clinton