Housatonic Railroad to Discontinue Waste Operations
Five-year saga to shut down a solid waste facility in Hawleyville draws to a close.
After nearly five years of residents and town officials complaining about a solid waste facility in Hawleyville that earned multiple notices of violations from state regulators, the Housatonic Railroad has agreed to discontinue the operation and withdraw its permit for the facility to continue operating there in the future.
"In view of a number of factors, including the opinions expressed in your letter of December 12, 2011 that violations have not been expeditiously corrected and that a recognizable system has not been put in place to prevent additional or recurring violations, Housatonic Railroad has decided to withdraw its application," Ed Rodriguez, Housatonic's general counnsel said in a Dec. 26 letter to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection asking that the company's permit application be withdrawn.
The voluntary withdrawal means that the site at 30 Hawleyville Road will no longer be used to receive, reduce and ship out construction debris to Ohio, and because of changes in state regulation, will unlikely operate as such in the future unless the operation comes into compliance with new environmental standards.
"It is important to know and very significant for Newtown to know should the railroad decide for that location to serve as a loading operation, all of the new standards need to be met," First Selectman Pat Llodra said.
Because the solid waste facility had been in operation prior to the enactment of stricter environmental regulations, it had been able to skirt some of those laws, officials have said.
In addition to discontinuing operation, Newtown Transload, which ran the business on behalf of the railroad, must clear out its materials, equipment and other items from the site, Llodra said. The railroad also plans to continue remediating some of the damage done to the property as a result of the solid waste facility, according to Llodra. The site, however, will remain a transfer point for lumber and other railroad operations, activities considered a less intensive use of the property.
The news is a win for the town, Llodra said, adding that since 2007, the town has been battling Housatonic Railroad and Newtown Transload over environmental violations.
"It takes a lot of persistence," the first selectman said of the fight to shut down the solid waste facility. "Government has to be willing to stand behind those issues and stay with it."
Terry Laslo
5:48 pm on Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Happy New Year Hawleyville and Newtown!
Sully
6:00 pm on Tuesday, December 27, 2011
WELL DONE, congrats to all who made this possible, and for keeping it Nicer In Newtown !
Catherine
10:58 pm on Tuesday, December 27, 2011
On second thought, all threats should be immediatley reported to the police. Hoa, please do so. Thank you.
Will Jones
11:19 pm on Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Catherine, no one has "threatened" anybody. Eric made the point that he feels that CT and Newtown have an anti-business slant, and that we as a state will eventually pay the price for that in lost jobs, tax revenues, etc. In fact, I often disagree with what Eric writes (including in this case), but I give his comments much more consideration than I otherwise might because of the very fact that he does not make threats, respond to silly challenges, or rise (lower himself?) to the childish baitings of others on these boards. In any event, I really don't think he's making any threats here.
John Parker
6:29 pm on Tuesday, December 27, 2011
I sure do hope we can focus this much energy into our next largest criminal in town!
NewtownMark
11:09 pm on Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Yes - here we are again - instead of changing the regs in a responsible manner and allowing business to adapt, lets drive businesses to shut down. I hope Newtown can make up the lost tax revenue with another nail salon, wine shop or Chinese restaurant. If not don't dare ask for a tax increase from the property owners.
Catherine
11:24 pm on Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Wow... you are so "off the mark"....ILLEGAL poluting or activities should never be allowed or regulations changed.... Businesses comply ( and many do) or not. Yes, shut down everything illegal...! As a Newtown resident and property owner (which I doubt you are), I do not want tax revenue from an illegal and polluting venue.. I won't engage with you, but I say Congratulations Newtown and Hawleyville!... Thank you Pat Llodra and all involved. Well done!
NewtownMark
11:38 pm on Tuesday, December 27, 2011
I get the feeling you would not be satisfied with anything less than a shutdown. If it were a true illegal dumping operation then where are the arrests? Seems more like the PC police not the DA's office did this
NewtownMark
11:41 pm on Tuesday, December 27, 2011
BTW - doubt not and stop using the juvenile Alinski comments - they will not work here
Catherine
11:48 pm on Tuesday, December 27, 2011
@ Will,
While I am not familar with all of Eric's postings .. I do believe his comments here are threatening: "take everything of value" which regards illegal dumping and polluting.(Value on illegal activities?)..." I hope you all enjoy the result, which won't be a good one."Waste removal is a business. If you make it hard enough to do within the law, I promise you it will happen around the law. Dig a hole, waste goes in hole, cover it up, leave state=brand new brownfield super fund site." The last sentenance is from a prior post/threat.By his comments, this is scarey to me. Especially since for over 5 years our lands and waters have been polluted, Opportunity was there to work with the town and shunned. ,,etc.. HIs comments are (in my opinon) threatening and should be noted as thus.
NewtownMark
8:19 am on Wednesday, December 28, 2011
I know this is an assumption but I'll wager that Catherine drives a hybrid. I'm wondering if she has put any money aside for the proper disposal of the toxic batteries. You see do-gooders only see the bubble they live in at the moment and not that larger impact of their decisions.
NewtownMark
10:22 am on Wednesday, December 28, 2011
I'll ask again - where are the arrests?
Sully
10:52 am on Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Perhaps this will provide a light bit of LIGHT for the whiners:
NEWTOWN -- The Hawleyville Solid Waste Rail Transfer Facility has ceased operation at 30 Hawleyville Road.
"We are very, very pleased with the outcome," First Selectman Pat Llodra said Tuesday. Llodra said the transfer facility did not provide benefits to the town.
The Housatonic Railroad Co., the business owner, did not pay taxes, and the facility created environmental problems and noise for residents in the town, she said.
"There was no loss to Newtown" with the closing, Llodra said.
Read more: http://www.newstimes.com/local/article/Rail-waste-station-closes-in-Newtown-2427413.php#ixzz1hqSGmnT5
Daniel Patti
12:06 pm on Wednesday, December 28, 2011
"Nazi's"? Totally uncalled for.
Russ
1:30 pm on Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Godwin's law invoked. Eric loses the argument.
Kevin Fitzgerald
1:47 pm on Wednesday, December 28, 2011
This is good news and much credit goes to members of The Hawleyville Environmental Advocacy Team, HEAT, for bringing this issue to the forefront early on and for their consistent and effective communication with the public and state/town officials throughout the multi-year long process. Even when the odds werer against them, they persevered. Thank you also to our town officials and those State officials who worked on Newtown's behalf.
Sandy Hook
7:14 pm on Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Accdording to the News-Times: The Housatonic Railroad Co., the business owner, did not pay taxes, and the facility created environmental problems .....
sandyhooker
9:48 pm on Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Hmm, Lets move them to the old Bluelinx property than send all of Newtowns waste over there as well. Town owned scales and oversight. We might even turn a profit. Waste carting and management are a way of life. Lets do it cleanly,and profitably!
john pookman
10:11 pm on Wednesday, December 28, 2011
I agree Sandyhooker. Thank you for a reasonable remedy,but I'm sure that they'll be another grassroots group to naysay it there as well. All I seem to read in these comments are criticisms but no cure.Sounds a lot like congress talking here. Who doesn't make waste or is in need of disposing of it? Properly you say? Maybe but who of these whiners wants to foot the bill according to stringent new eco-friendly guidelines? Have them put their money where their mouth is.It all sounds great on paper don't be fooled.Your next remodeling dumpster bill will be twice the price for your good deed.Get smart folks.
Sandy Hook
8:32 am on Thursday, December 29, 2011
But, The Housatonic Railroad Co., the business owner, did not pay taxes. But I do. Do you?
john pookman
9:01 pm on Thursday, December 29, 2011
Oh I pay my taxes and are they dear! If they did would that sweeten the deal and would you let them have a voice then? I don't think thats the problem at heart here. You move by a rail hub you receive rail traffic. Forget quaint Hawleyville. It once used to see incessant railcars sixty years ago plus.Let it be revitalized for what it once was a gritty section of town that thrived with commerce.You'll save more of the environment by rail than by truck though it will be in your backyard.
John
11:31 am on Friday, December 30, 2011
Interesting comments on this subject. It appears we have two camps here and it not really about the Housatonic railroad. One that wants to keep Newtown as a bedroom community with no tax base (other than banks, nail salons, pizza, and Chinese resturants) and another who wants to work with businesses effectively to reduce the over all tax burden on residents. I am for option two. Quite frankly I miss the sounds of a train rolling by and liked the idea of the railroad as a continued part of our community. My question is, did the town do their part in exploring a compromise that would bring in tax revenue and reduce the polution? Judging by the towns recent track record, I doubt it.
pat Llodra
12:53 pm on Friday, December 30, 2011
John. The railroad will continue to be part of our community. HRR has a thriving lumber transport business at that location. The town has had a positive relationship with the HRR in the past and I expect that to be the future situation. The only aspect of the HRR business that is being denied is the waste transfer operation. There was no compromise to be sought in this issue. The environmental damage was real and significant. There was no commitment to remediation, and there was no plan to prevent further damage. The Town has the obligation under law to protect and preserve environmental quality. We cannot compromise away an impact on water quality; wetlands. And, just to be really clear, there was no tax benefit to the town and would not be in the future even if the waste hauling business expanded. (The Newtown Transload tax bill was $250.00 per year, all based on personal property.) We are very active in building a more diverse commercial/industrial presence and have had some recent successes but we strongly maintain that those endeavors have to be consistent with the core values of our community and have to meet environmental standards.
Sully
11:47 am on Friday, December 30, 2011
The railroad had years to address the cited violations and clean up their act. No one deserves to have their water supply polluted. This is a victory for the good citizens of Hawleyville in particular, and Newtown in general.
Learn to be a good corporate citizen and you're welcome in Newtown, otherwise, good riddance!
john pookman
11:10 am on Saturday, December 31, 2011
In accordance with current regulations if the DEEP would have ventured further down the railline away from the HRR site they would find more aggregious violations that had occurred many decades past. These I'm sure have contributed more to the detriment of our water source than our recent problems with the HRR.This is a perfect example of a select few working against the benefit of the majority through litigation and a hyper sensitive town politic.This only addresses feelgood measures averting the hardcore decisions that need to be made for a society.Think congress.Remember the Newtown "blight issue"? I have lived in this town my whole life and have only seen it become more upkept throughout the years. There is no need for this ordinance.It only breeds gentrification by litigious means.Pencil pushers and do-nothings have been slowly taking over in the course of the last few decades.This leads to fingerpointing and deadlock. This is not advencement.I do not vote partylines nor do I favor pollution, only whats best for the majority not a select few idealists.