Engineering, oil and gas: Industry sees need for heavy machinery operators
Any time a structure is going to be built, or large equipment or items are going to be moved, heavy equipment and heavy equipment operators are needed.
However, heavy machinery is also used to unload ships at the Ship Channel, in the oil and gas industry, and in many other areas and industries as well, so there is always a demand for these professionals.
"We have a shortage of heavy machinery operators. In our training program, the classes are full. Yet, at any one time, we are short 20-50 operators to fill jobs," said Danny Vasquez, organizer, Union 450 Local Union.
Construction equipment/heavy machinery operators use machinery to move construction materials, earth, and other heavy materials at construction sites, including pipelines and refineries.
They operate equipment that clears and grades land to prepare it for construction of roads, bridges, buildings, and other structures.
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators work with one or several types of power construction equipment. They may operate excavation and loading machines equipped with scoops, shovels or buckets that dig sand, gravel, earth, or similar materials.
In addition to operating bulldozers, they operate trench excavators, road graders, and similar equipment.
Often they may drive and control industrial trucks or tractors equipped with forklifts or booms for lifting materials.
Most heavy equipment operators' jobs are short term, from one to three months, and then they go to another job. Therefore, many of these skilled professionals work with employment agencies and/or unions. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
More I-95 backups in store at New Haven-West Haven line
NEW HAVEN >> Drivers traveling over the West River bridge on Interstate 95 next weekend will run into a second lane shift in three weeks, and that may mean longer backups for motorists who have been plagued with bumper-to-bumper traffic this summer.
But the state Department of Transportation’s Ghazi Alsaqri, the project engineer, emphasized one thing: There will be no work done on the highway between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, the last day of the Connecticut Open women’s tennis tournament in New Haven’s Westville section. “This is really important because we made a promise to them and we are not going to interfere at that time,” Alsaqri said as he looked out over the I-95 construction zone from the Howard Avenue bridge.
This shift will take drivers off the old southbound lanes and enable workers to demolish part of the old bridge over the West River, which divides West Haven and New Haven. The work, which will start at 11 p.m. Friday, is being done by Middlesex Corp. of Littleton, Massachusetts.
Drivers were backed up for miles on Aug. 15 because a truck delivering asphalt to the project from eastern Connecticut was caught in a backup caused by a fatal accident in Old Lyme. That delayed the shift from the northbound lanes of I-95 onto a portion of the new bridge. Alsaqri acknowledged the delay choked the highway that day but said the work was still finished a day early, on Aug. 16.
“For every interference with lanes you should expect some backups,” Aqsari said, but added that the DOT hopes to keep them to a minimum.
This coming weekend, southbound traffic will be moved to the former northbound lanes, which are now unused. Drivers approaching from Long Wharf will encounter a split in the road, as well, near the Howard Avenue bridge. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Power plant near Oxford airport to be expedited
OXFORD — The company proposing a 785-megawatt combined-cycle power plant near the Waterbury-Oxford Airport is in active discussions with investors to finance the $1 billion project and plans to move forward with construction within months, even as appeals are ongoing by local intervenors. Maryland-based Competitive Power Ventures, which is operating here as CPV Towantic, LLC, plans to begin construction of the CPV Towantic Energy Center off of Woodruff Hill Road, near the town's borders with Naugatuck and Middlebury, between December and February and to begin operating here in 2018, said First Selectman George R. Temple. He has been an advocate for the project for years primarily due to its potential to bring tax revenue to town coffers.
He said the company plans to pay Oxford $7 million in upfront costs before construction begins, and that once the plant is built, it would pump $5.3 million a year for into the town's grand list, a listing of all taxable property in town.
"We intend to lower taxes and nothing is better for property values than lower taxes," he said, adding that he believes the plant will also lower electricity bills in the long run. "I think it's an asset, and we're really looking forward to it."
CPV's proposed power plant here will be fueled primarily with natural gas, but would be authorized to use distillate fuel oil in certain limited circumstances. The plant has been controversial as neighbors worry about its impact on property values and public health. The project has been approved by the Connecticut Siting Council, but still has several hurdles to clear before construction can begin. Still, CPV representatives seem confident the project will move forward.
Among the issues CPV faces in getting the project off the ground are:
* The company needs an air permit from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, which has indicated it is likely to grant the permit. They would establish air emissions standards and operational restrictions for the plant in accordance with state and federal air pollution control law. DEEP has scheduled a hearing for that project for 6:30 p.m. Sept. 17 at Oxford High School's auditorium.
* The company has presented a detailed development and management plan to the Connecticut Siting Council, which has approved the project contingent upon a favorable review of that plant, an air permit from DEEP and a favorable review from the Federal Aviation Administration, which has ruled that the project's two 150-foot smokestacks would have no adverse effect on the safety of aircraft landing at the nearby airport. The Siting Council was expected to discuss the development and management plan last week, but a council member fell ill and the review was postponed to next month, said Melanie Bachman, acting executive director for the Siting Council.
* The FAA ruling has been challenged by Raymond Pietrorazio, Middlebury's representative for the airport, who criticized the ruling for not mentioning the effect plumes of smoke may have on the visibility of pilots and the airport tower. Currently, FAA regulations do not take into account the effluent from smokestacks when considering whether they are a hazard to flying safety.
* The company is in the process of working with Heritage Village Water Co. to get the 218,000 gallons of water a day it needs to operate the plant. The Pomperaug River Watershed Coalition has concerns about the proposal, saying that water taken out of the Pomperaug River will not be returned to the basin as it is with other uses. The coalition's executive director, Len DeJong, has concerns about prolonged droughts and that the power plant's varied seasonal water demands may further burden what he said are existing critical low river flows.
Raymond Adamaitis, vice president of Heritage Village Water Co., assured Southbury officials last week that the company has more than enough water available — more than 1 million gallons per day and another 500,000 daily from Connecticut Water Co. as a backup. Heritage Village Water Co. has never had to use the backup water. Adamaitis said any contract with CPV would be written in such a way that it protects its water system and service area.
* An additional battle CPV is facing will be fought in court between the town of Middlebury, various intervenors and the Connecticut Siting Council.
Middlebury has filed an appeal of the Siting Council's approval of CPV Towantic at New Britain Superior Court. Attorney Stephen Savarese filed the lawsuit July 2 on behalf of the town and several other nearby property owners, including Greenfields, Oxford Greens Association, Middlebury Land Trust, Marian R. Larkin and the Lake Quassapaug Association, to name a few. A pretrial conference is scheduled for Sept. 8.
Bachman said the plaintiff's appeal does not preclude CPV from beginning construction but noted the company would be doing so at its own risk.
Various financial publications have indicated that CPV has had multiple discussions with banks over financing the project, indicating that the company is ready to get a shovel in the ground.
Braith Kelly, Jr., senior vice president for external affairs at CPV, said he could not comment about financing. But he said development of the plant remains on track.
"We're trying to work with all of these different stakeholders, and we believe that there is a clear path to resolve all of these issues," he said. "We remain willing to work toward whatever resolutions we can. We're still confident that the project can move forward and it is moving forward."