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Eversource upgrading gas distribution system in Naugatuck
NAUGATUCK – Eversource is investing $1.1 million to upgrade the gas distribution system in town. The project includes replacing 3,000 feet of existing cast iron and bare steel gas main with newer plastic pipe.
The Naugatuck upgrade project is underway with construction crews working between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Work will be done along Arch Street, Lewis Street, Russell Street, Scott Street, Theresa Street, Nixon Avenue, and Manners Avenue.
Drivers may experience delays due to alternating one-way traffic. Customers may also experience a short disruption to their natural gas service when the new line is being activated and they will be notified in advance by letter, phone, or an in-person visit. This gas line improvement work is expected to be complete by early August.
“These investments allow us to further modernize the gas distribution system, minimizing repairs, and any service interruptions,” Eversource President of Gas Operations Bill Akley said. “Proactively upgrading the system helps to ensure our customers in Connecticut have a better, stronger network for decades to come.”
State Water Planning Council blasts Tilcon proposal
Lisa Backus
NEW BRITAIN – A second state agency has panned the Tilcon proposal to mine protected watershed land, calling the plan a risk to the public drinking supply.
“Much of the area that would be impacted in the proposed expanded area of quarrying is located in the active public drinking water supply watershed of Shuttle Meadow Reservoir,” members of the state Water Planning Council said in a 16-page document sent to New Britain officials Tuesday. “Surficial activities associated with the quarrying operation, including clear-cutting the forest and removing stumps, soil and other natural material could create a significant water quality risk to the reservoir.”
Tilcon is proposing mining 74 acres of protected watershed owned by the city’s Water Department for 40 years and then returning the quarry back to the city as a water storage reservoir. The city would be paid by the company for mining rights – a figure that has not been made public – and Tilcon would donate about 300 acres of open space to Plainville, Southington and New Britain under the deal.
Opponents fear the plan, which requires a change in use for the protected watershed, would imperil protected watersheds throughout the state. The land Tilcon wants to mine includes several vernal pools and acts as a filtered tributary to Shuttle Meadow Reservoir.
“The impact (habitat obliteration) to this important environmental site and risk to our water supply are significant and potentially life threatening, notwithstanding that the report doesn’t substantiate a need or that it would even be a viable reservoir,” said Attorney Paul Zagorsky, a vocal opponent of the plan. “What is most alarming is the WPC’s comments questioning the water quality analysis, specifically that drinking water chemical contaminants that pose a health risk were inadequately referenced, tested or analyzed. This proposal is an environmental disaster putting New Britain’s water supply in danger for which there is absolutely no justification.”
The WPC and the state Council on Environmental Quality were required to review a 500-page environmental report on the impact of the plan created by Lenard Engineering as part of the approval process.
The CEQ stated its concerns about the proposal last week including the fact that Lenard didn’t make the case that the city needed additional water storage and that the way the reservoir would be filled – with storm water runoff – results in high treatment costs.
The WPC in their review of the environmental report issued Tuesday mirrored the same concerns, saying Lenard’s projections for the need for a new water storage reservoir relies on “speculative and undocumented contingencies to both water demand and supply occurring in unison in order to justify the need for a new reservoir.”
But the four-member council made up of representatives from the state Department of Public Health, the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the state Office of Policy and Management and the state Public Utilities Regulatory Authority went even farther in their criticism of the proposal.
There was “no documentation or other basis” on the reductions to the water supply forecasted in the environmental report to bolster claims that a new reservoir was needed, the WPC concluded, and in fact, the claims were not included in previous water plans developed by Lenard for the city, the WPC concluded.
“The WPC finds that the city’s report does not substantiate the need for the proposed new reservoir or, in fact, that the proposed reservoir would even be a viable public water storage facility,” the members said.
Now that the WPC has provided their review of the plan, the city has 30 days to hold a public hearing on the project. The city must post the review and the review done by the CEQ before the hearing. No hearing date has been set as yet.
Construction Employment Increases in 256 Metro Areas Between April 2017, 2018
Construction employment increased in 256 out of 358 metro areas between April 2017 and April 2018, declined in 63 and was unchanged in 39, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released May 30 by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said that the data showed a continuation of strong labor demand amid shortages of qualified workers.
“Industry demand is still showing strength, as construction employment reached a new high in 54 metro areas,” said Ken Simonson, the association's chief economist. “However, despite these signs, further growth in the industry may increasingly be stymied by a lack of qualified workers.”
Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas added the most construction jobs during the past year (12,400 jobs, 9 percent), followed by Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas (12,200 jobs, 6 percent); Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz. (11,000 jobs, 10 percent); Midland, Texas (8,000 jobs, 31 percent) and Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, Nevada (7,700 jobs, 13 percent). The largest percentage gains occurred in the Midland, Texas metro area, followed by Merced, Calif. (29 percent, 700 jobs); New Bedford, Mass. (20 percent, 500 jobs); Atlantic City-Hammonton, N.J. (19 percent, 1,000 jobs) and Weirton-Steubenville, W.Va.-Ohio (19 percent, 300 jobs).
The largest job losses from April 2017 to April 2018 were in St. Louis, Mo.-Ill. (minus 3,100 jobs, minus 5 percent), followed by Middlesex-Monmouth-Ocean, N.J. (minus 2,900 jobs, minus 7 percent); Montgomery County-Bucks County-Chester County, Penn. (minus 2,800 jobs, minus 5 percent); Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minn.-Wis. (minus 2,400 jobs, minus 3 percent) and Columbia, S.C. (minus 2,200 jobs, minus 11 percent). The largest percentage decreases for the year were in Bloomington, Ill. (minus 16 percent, minus 500 jobs), followed by Bismarck, N.D. (minus 15 percent, minus 800 jobs), Auburn-Opelika, Ala. (minus 14 percent, minus 400 jobs); Battle Creek, Mich. (minus 12 percent, minus 200 jobs); and Columbia, S.C.
Association officials said that despite these widespread employment increases, many contractors report difficulty in finding qualified workers. With the national unemployment rate at a 17-year low and many metro unemployment rates at new record lows for April, finding workers is not expected to get easier in the near future. They added that education and training initiatives are the best way to increase the pool of skilled workers, creating a new generation of carpenters, electricians, and others, while giving Americans access to highly rewarding work.
“The good news is that the strong economy is driving demand for many types of construction projects,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association's chief executive officer. “All that economic activity means that there are fewer, qualified, workers available for construction firms to hire to keep pace with demand.”
Tilcon is proposing mining 74 acres of protected watershed owned by the city’s Water Department for 40 years and then returning the quarry back to the city as a water storage reservoir. The city would be paid by the company for mining rights – a figure that has not been made public – and Tilcon would donate about 300 acres of open space to Plainville, Southington and New Britain under the deal.
Opponents fear the plan, which requires a change in use for the protected watershed, would imperil protected watersheds throughout the state. The land Tilcon wants to mine includes several vernal pools and acts as a filtered tributary to Shuttle Meadow Reservoir.
“The impact (habitat obliteration) to this important environmental site and risk to our water supply are significant and potentially life threatening, notwithstanding that the report doesn’t substantiate a need or that it would even be a viable reservoir,” said Attorney Paul Zagorsky, a vocal opponent of the plan. “What is most alarming is the WPC’s comments questioning the water quality analysis, specifically that drinking water chemical contaminants that pose a health risk were inadequately referenced, tested or analyzed. This proposal is an environmental disaster putting New Britain’s water supply in danger for which there is absolutely no justification.”
The WPC and the state Council on Environmental Quality were required to review a 500-page environmental report on the impact of the plan created by Lenard Engineering as part of the approval process.
The CEQ stated its concerns about the proposal last week including the fact that Lenard didn’t make the case that the city needed additional water storage and that the way the reservoir would be filled – with storm water runoff – results in high treatment costs.
The WPC in their review of the environmental report issued Tuesday mirrored the same concerns, saying Lenard’s projections for the need for a new water storage reservoir relies on “speculative and undocumented contingencies to both water demand and supply occurring in unison in order to justify the need for a new reservoir.”
But the four-member council made up of representatives from the state Department of Public Health, the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the state Office of Policy and Management and the state Public Utilities Regulatory Authority went even farther in their criticism of the proposal.
There was “no documentation or other basis” on the reductions to the water supply forecasted in the environmental report to bolster claims that a new reservoir was needed, the WPC concluded, and in fact, the claims were not included in previous water plans developed by Lenard for the city, the WPC concluded.
“The WPC finds that the city’s report does not substantiate the need for the proposed new reservoir or, in fact, that the proposed reservoir would even be a viable public water storage facility,” the members said.
Now that the WPC has provided their review of the plan, the city has 30 days to hold a public hearing on the project. The city must post the review and the review done by the CEQ before the hearing. No hearing date has been set as yet.
Construction Employment Increases in 256 Metro Areas Between April 2017, 2018
Construction employment increased in 256 out of 358 metro areas between April 2017 and April 2018, declined in 63 and was unchanged in 39, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released May 30 by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said that the data showed a continuation of strong labor demand amid shortages of qualified workers.
“Industry demand is still showing strength, as construction employment reached a new high in 54 metro areas,” said Ken Simonson, the association's chief economist. “However, despite these signs, further growth in the industry may increasingly be stymied by a lack of qualified workers.”
Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas added the most construction jobs during the past year (12,400 jobs, 9 percent), followed by Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas (12,200 jobs, 6 percent); Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz. (11,000 jobs, 10 percent); Midland, Texas (8,000 jobs, 31 percent) and Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, Nevada (7,700 jobs, 13 percent). The largest percentage gains occurred in the Midland, Texas metro area, followed by Merced, Calif. (29 percent, 700 jobs); New Bedford, Mass. (20 percent, 500 jobs); Atlantic City-Hammonton, N.J. (19 percent, 1,000 jobs) and Weirton-Steubenville, W.Va.-Ohio (19 percent, 300 jobs).
The largest job losses from April 2017 to April 2018 were in St. Louis, Mo.-Ill. (minus 3,100 jobs, minus 5 percent), followed by Middlesex-Monmouth-Ocean, N.J. (minus 2,900 jobs, minus 7 percent); Montgomery County-Bucks County-Chester County, Penn. (minus 2,800 jobs, minus 5 percent); Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minn.-Wis. (minus 2,400 jobs, minus 3 percent) and Columbia, S.C. (minus 2,200 jobs, minus 11 percent). The largest percentage decreases for the year were in Bloomington, Ill. (minus 16 percent, minus 500 jobs), followed by Bismarck, N.D. (minus 15 percent, minus 800 jobs), Auburn-Opelika, Ala. (minus 14 percent, minus 400 jobs); Battle Creek, Mich. (minus 12 percent, minus 200 jobs); and Columbia, S.C.
Association officials said that despite these widespread employment increases, many contractors report difficulty in finding qualified workers. With the national unemployment rate at a 17-year low and many metro unemployment rates at new record lows for April, finding workers is not expected to get easier in the near future. They added that education and training initiatives are the best way to increase the pool of skilled workers, creating a new generation of carpenters, electricians, and others, while giving Americans access to highly rewarding work.
“The good news is that the strong economy is driving demand for many types of construction projects,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association's chief executive officer. “All that economic activity means that there are fewer, qualified, workers available for construction firms to hire to keep pace with demand.”