STAMFORD — More than 50 unionized electricians gathered outside Stamford Hospital Wednesday to complain about what they say are unlicensed laborers performing some of the work on the $450 million project for the new hospital complex.
“Our shop steward came out here and tried to find someone with a license and couldn’t find anyone,” said Thomas Hegarty, an apprentice with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 3.“They avoided the question,” added Joe Onolfo, another apprentice.
Stamford Hospital officials declined to comment, instead referring questions to the hospital project’s general contractor, Skanska.
A spokesman for the contractor said the piping work performed by the non-union laborers did not require a specialized license since it did not involve actual electrical wiring, just the installation of underground conduits for communication.
“As one of the largest union employers in the tri-state region, Skanska has a long and proud history of employing local labor on our construction projects," the company said in a statement. "In the past year alone, we have hired more than 400 union workers at the new Stamford Hospital facility. We always use licensed and certified union labor when required and our work for the project is no exception.”
But one union electrician said the new workers on the site installed the couplings, or pipe joints, backward. Skanska officials said that was not possible.
"The couplings in the trenches are impossible to put on backwards," the company said. "Skanska can confirm they were installed correctly and have been inspected and approved by the local building authorities." As required in Connecticut, 80 percent of the project has involved union jobs. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Foes cheer Kinder Morgan decision to suspend pipeline plans
In a decision cheered by local opponents, Kinder Morgan suspended plans for a 419-mile natural gas pipeline connecting Pennsylvania's fracking fields to Boston by winding through local counties.
Kinder Morgan's Northeast Energy Direct Pipeline had planned to traverse Schoharie County and Albany County before passing through southern Rensselaer County en route to Massachusetts.
The Texas-based firm — using the word "suspended" to define its move — said New England customers couldn't commit to buying the gas. A news release said innovations in production resulted in a low-price environment that, "while good for consumers, has made it difficult for producers to make new long term commitments."
The $3.3 billion pipeline was meant to ease New England's high natural gas and electricity costs, said the company, which had also touted job-creation potential.
The decision follows months of public hearings and group meetings where environmental activists and area residents expressed deep anxieties about the project.
"The apparent demise of the unneeded and unsafe NED project is another nail in the coffin for fossil fuel usage in the USA and beyond," said a statement from Robert Connors and Becky Meier of Stop NY Fracked Gas Pipeline.
The anti-pipeline activists said the suspension confirms their belief that current market forces made gas prices and the company's stock price plummet, but they also credit their "fierce, cumulative and cohesive public efforts."
During the course of the fight, concerns were raised about water quality and air and water pollution risks. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Solar farm proposal well-received on walk-through
GRISWOLD - Residents, town officials and representatives from Ecos Energy LLC traipsed through the woods by Route 138 Wednesday afternoon to get an idea of where and how a proposed $20 million solar farm would be built. Ecos Energy LLC, a renewable energy development and services company, wants to build a 30-acre solar farm on the vacant land at 1219 and 1240 Voluntown Road, also known as Route 138. The proposed 7-megawatt solar farm project would provide enough energy to power about 1,200 to 1,400 homes and would consist of 25,000 solar panels. Residents like Lauren Churchill, who lives on Roger Road, said the project has more benefits than drawbacks. m“Something like this would help take us off fossil fuels. There’s no smoke stacks going up. There are worst things that could be going there,” Churchill said. “I’m just here to make sure that as much of the character of the forest is kept as much as possible." Ecos submitted an application with the state’s Siting Council, which regulates public utility services, on March 21 and the board has 60 days to act on the application. Ecos only needs the state’s approval and does not have to go through the town, but both the Siting Council and Ecos are factoring in town and resident concerns for the project. Ecos representative Steve Broyer said much of the trees and shrubs would need to be removed from the area, but said it was likely Ecos will keep about 30 feet of treeline as a buffer between neighbors and Route 138. The topography of the land would be kept the same and there would be no need for land excavation, he said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
UConn To Sign $4 Million Agreement With Hartford Public Library
HARTFORD — The University of Connecticut will sign a $4 million agreement Thursday to renovate and lease space at the Hartford Public Library for its new downtown Hartford campus.
The center of the $140 million campus will be at the former Hartford Times property on Prospect Street, where construction is well underway. The nearby library will provide space for classrooms, a library collection and study areas.
In addition, UConn purchased 38 Prospect St. last year for $4 million for classrooms and offices. UConn hopes to negotiate an agreement to use the auditorium at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art.
UConn says it is aiming to create an urban neighborhood campus so students will need to go outside of the main Times building. The university aims to increase foot traffic downtown and boost patrons at local businesses, especially neighboring Front Street. The university's lease at the library will run 15 years and include annual payments to cover maintenance, security and other operating expenses. In the first year, the payment would be $172,000. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Controversial Natural Gas Pipeline Plan Withdrawn
The corporation backing a massive new natural gas pipeline proposal for New England and Connecticut pulled the plug on the project Wednesday, citing a lack of assurances that ratepayers would help pay for the $3.3 billion system.
One part of the now-suspended project included a controversial 14.8 mile "Connecticut Loop" that would have crossed legally protected watershed land in West Hartford near several drinking water reservoirs. Kinder Morgan, the nation's biggest energy infrastructure company and the primary sponsor of the project, announced that its "Northeast Energy Direct" proposal hasn't gotten the commitments it needed from New England utilities seeking more natural gas to generate electricity.
The West Hartford portion of the Northeast Energy Direct project drew strong opposition from environmentalists and the West Hartford Town Council, and questions from state health officials and the Metropolitan District, which owns the watershed land.
Environmentalists all over New England questioned the need for, and the adverse impact of, the proposed pipeline system. The plan was intended to dramatically increase natural gas supplies to the region from "fracking" fields in the Marcellus Shale areas of Pennsylvania and New York.CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
I-84 Viaduct Update and Information
Open Planning Studios are occurring on 04/20/2016 and 04/21/2016 at the Parker Memorial Community Center, 2621 Main Street in Hartford. The purpose is show the potential options for the rebuilding of I-84 in Hartford, and to get feedback from residents and others on which option they prefer. People will get to see images of what the various changes might look like, and then provide their comments, which can impact the planning process.
Below is the schedule of events and the text of the press release. Please forward, as we would like the input of people who may be impacted.
Schedule of Events
Day 1 - Wednesday, April 20, 2016 12 PM – 8 PM: Open to the Public
Working Sessions
· 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM: Public Advisory Committee Meeting
· 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM: Capped Highway and East Coast Greenway Update
· 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM: Youth Open House (attendees of all ages are welcome)
· 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM: Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Transit
Day 2 - Thursday, April 21, 2016 9 AM – 5 PM: Open to the Public
Working Sessions
· 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM: Urban Design
· 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM: Traffic and Parking
· 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Youth Open House (attendees of all ages are welcome)
Press release information:
Members of the public are encouraged to drop in at any time to talk with planners and engineers as well as observe and/or participate in design sessions and discussions related to the I-84 Hartford Project. A detailed schedule of events for each day is listed below.
Over the last year, the CTDOT has developed three primary alternatives for replacing the aging I-84 Viaduct in Hartford. Whether I-84 will be rebuilt as an elevated, at-grade, or tunneled highway will greatly affect Hartford and its residents. The project team will present its evaluation of each alternative and associated opportunities for economic development, public health, safety, and much more. Public input has already influenced the development of many design ideas. Continued involvement is vital to ensuring that the rebuilt highway corridor benefits all users.
Open Planning Studios are a way for local residents, commuters, business owners, and any other interested parties to learn about and receive updates on the I-84 Hartford Project. They are an opportunity to interact with the project team’s engineers and planners, as well as to give input on possible solutions for I-84. Visit i84hartford.com/get-involved for event details.
The purpose of the I-84 Hartford Project is to address structural deficiencies, improve traffic operations and safety, and reduce congestion on the I-84 mainline and its interchanges between Flatbush Avenue and I-91 in Hartford. The I-84 Hartford Project strives to reduce the highway’s negative impact on the city, while creating efficient connections to other modes of transportation.
CTDOT is evaluating the I-84 Hartford Project corridor in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, the Capitol Region Council of Governments, the City of Hartford, the Town of East Hartford, the Town of West Hartford, as well as other local agencies and stakeholder groups. A Public Advisory Committee, comprised of a wide range of stakeholders has been, and will continue to be instrumental in guiding each of the alternatives.
The meeting facilities are ADA accessible. Language assistance may be requested by contacting the Department of Transportation’s Office of Communications (voice only) at