UIL agrees to $30M cleanup of N. Haven power plant
In order to gain key consents for its $3 billion merger, New Haven utility parent UIL Holdings agreed to pay at least $30 million to remediate its former English Station power plant in New Haven.
UIL reached the deal with the state attorney general and the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection late last week, and details of the cleanup were released on Thursday. The agreement is contingent upon the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority and the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities approving UIL's proposed merger with Spanish utility giant Iberdrola, which is trying to grow its U.S. operations with UIL's executive team at the helm. PURA is expected to make a ruling Dec. 4.
The agreement calls on UIL to contribute $30 million to cleaning up the English Station, a shuttered power plant that UIL sold in 2000 but remains contaminated with carcinogens and heavy metals. If the remediation costs more than $30 million, UIL will cover the difference. If it costs less than $30 million, the state pockets the cash to use for a future public purpose.
The English Station is owned by Asnat Realty of Bayside, N.Y. and Evergreen Power of Wilmington, Md., and DEEP is working with them to gain access to the site.
UIL could seek to recover the $30 million through ratepayers during the next rate case for one of its utilities, such as United Illuminating or Connecticut Natural Gas, but DEEP and Attorney General George Jepsen said they would strongly oppose such a move.
Newington Building Committee Requests $34.5 Million For New Town Hall
NEWINGTON — The town hall building committee this week approved and sent to the town council a proposal for a new $32.5 million building, plus another $2 million to temporarily relocate town offices.
The tally was 5-1 with committee member David Nagel, who is also town council minority leader, casting the only no vote.
The latest proposal for a new town hall and community center would cost, counting relocation expenses, $3 million less and be almost 10 percent smaller than an earlier plan. The committee cut the project's size and price tag after residents complained at two public hearings this summer.
The committee's vote culminates 10 months of work on a new plan after voters last year overwhelmingly rejected a different proposal.
Chairman Alan Bongiovanni said the new proposal is the best and most cost effective approach.
"I think we have a plan here that meets our needs," Bongiovanni said. "I think it's a reasonable cost."
But Nagel said the price tag was too high for voters. He said he wanted the cost to be less than the $30.3 million plan rejected by residents last year.
"I don't pretend to be a builder, but the public has to feel that it's a just amount," Nagel said.
Nagel said a different architectural approach and a tougher look at "wants vs. needs" could have reduced the cost more. He suggested holding another public hearing before the committee voted.
Bongiovanni said, however, that the building couldn't be any smaller. Certain offices, such as the town clerk, require a minimum size, he said. Architect Charles Boos said he reduced the size of the building to 90,000 square feet by cutting all spaces by 10 percent, with the exception of the two gyms. Making the building even smaller CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE