State Senator Edith G. Prague
May 1, 2008
Prague Wins Senate Passage of Bill Designed to Prohibit Franklin Ash Dump
11th Hour Amendment Rushed to House For Action
State Senator Edith G. Prague (D-Columbia) today arranged for an entirely separate Environment Committee bill to be amended and won Senate approval for the new language, which was drafted to prevent the Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority (CRRA) from siting an ash dump in the towns of Franklin and Windham. Senator Prague has said repeatedly in recent weeks the proposal is unsuitable for the area and vowed to intervene, if possible.
CRRA has proposed dumping a reported 300,000 tons of ash per year at a 350-acre site in Franklin that some say would threaten the area aquifer, from which many Franklin residents draw water through private wells, and the nearby Shetucket River, which supplies drinking water for the nearby town of Sprague. Senator Prague said the plan's potential detrimental effect on the regional environment is compounded by the incompatibility of dozens of large, ash-laden dump trucks making repeated, daily trips along the rural roads in and around Franklin.
"I'm so grateful for the support and cooperation of Senator Ed Meyer, co-Chair of the Environment Committee, without whom I could not have advanced this legislation so far so fast," Senator Prague said. "Franklin residents are overwhelmingly opposed to the idea of this ash dump and the threat it represents to their quality of life--I know the vast majority of the town's 1,900 residents have signed a petition in an effort to protect their water supply."
CRRA has been negotiating with the three separate, private owners of the parcel identified for the ash dump; the prospect of seizing the land under provisions of the state's eminent domain policies has also come up with regard to the property and any effort to acquire the property is specifically banned by Senator Prague's amendment.
"I'd like to acknowledge Senator Prague's quick thinking and prompt legislative action to stop this proposal from jeopardizing the quiet, rural nature of these eastern Connecticut towns and their environmental integrity and I commend Senator Meyer's flexibility and willingness to provide the legislative vehicle for this initiative," Senate President Pro Tempore Donald E. Williams (D-Brooklyn) said. "I know CRRA had already identified about a dozen other potential sites for a new ash residue disposal area, one of which I'm sure is less environmentally sensitive and less intrusive to regional water supplies."
Senator Prague said the amended bill will advance directly to the House of Representatives for its consideration. She said the House members who represent Franklin and Windham are in full support of the amended bill and will work to win final approval in the final days of this year's legislative session.
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Senator Prague’s |
Listing of Senator Prague’s recent press releases and a Press Kit with official head shots and bio. |
Press Aide Laurence Grotheer |
