Connecticut DEP is Aiming to restore Housatonic River Basin

December 18, 2007

DEP Announces Short List of Projects
Aimed at Restoring Natural Resources
in the Housatonic River Basin

31 Proposals to Undergo Further Detailed Analysis by Consultant

The selection of projects to be funded under a program to restore natural resources in the Housatonic River Basin in Connecticut is one step closer to completion with the publishing of a recommended “short list” of proposals.

At its public meeting tonight at 7:00 p.m. at Kent Town Hall, the Connecticut SubCouncil will present this list of 31 proposals and describe the next steps in proposal evaluation and final selection. The total cost of this “short list” of proposals is estimated at around $12.5 million – which is $3.5 million more than the approximately $9 million in grant money that is available.

The public will have until January 4, 2008 to submit written comments regarding the recommended short list. Comments should be sent to: Laura Fontanella, DEP/IFD, 79 Elm St., Hartford, CT 06106. Verbal comments on the report will be accepted at the January 22, 2008 public meeting at 7:00 p.m. at Kent Town Hall.

Funding for these proposed projects comes from a settlement with GE in 1999 that included $7.5 million for restoration projects in Connecticut aimed at restoring, rehabilitating or acquiring the equivalent of the natural resources and recreational uses of the Housatonic River that were injured by the release of PCBs from the General Electric (GE) facility in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. That fund has now grown to just over $9 million.

DEP’s Bureau Chief of Natural Resources, Edward Parker said, “The publishing of this short list of proposals is a major step towards finalizing the Restoration Plan. These 31 proposals represent a wide range of projects in the three restoration categories. The trustees look forward to making final selections over the next several months.”

Earlier this year 92 proposals were submitted for projects. Of these 92 proposals, 76 were deemed eligible under criteria established by the Connecticut SubCouncil. The sponsors of these 76 proposals were invited to submit Supplemental Information concerning: the relevance and applicability of the project, technical and socioeconomic merit of the project; budget; and information regarding the capacity of the sponsor to implement the project. The Connecticut SubCouncil received a response from 53 sponsors by the June deadline.

The Connecticut SubCouncil then further evaluated the 53 proposals against the previously adopted Evaluation Criteria to develop a short list of projects. Of these 31 proposals on the short list, eight are listed under the category of Aquatic Natural Resources, nine as Riparian and Floodplain Resources, and fifteen as Recreational Services.

The use of these funds is the responsibility of the Natural Resource Trustee SubCouncil for Connecticut (the “Connecticut SubCouncil”), which is comprised of the Natural Resource Trustees from the State of Connecticut and the Federal Departments of the Interior (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) and Commerce (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). In addition, the Commissioner of Environmental Protection formed the Connecticut Trustee’s Advisory Group (CTAG) to provide the DEP with input from specific regional interest groups including recreational, environmental, planning and governmental organizations.

The short list of proposals can be found on the project website at www.housatonicrestoration.org/