Municipality where proposed project might be located: Rocky Hill

Address of Possible Project Location: West Street, Rocky Hill, CT (adjacent to the Veterans’ Home)

Project Description: The Department of Public Health (DPH), in conjunction with the Department of Public Works, is proposing to construct a new state public health laboratory involving approximately 120,000 square feet of building, associated site improvements, and approximately 200 parking spaces on existing state-owned property in Rocky Hill.  The project location involves state property that is currently under the care and custody of the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. The current Public Health Laboratory is located at 10 Clinton Street in Hartford, Connecticut.

The Public Health Laboratory provides analytical services to the state’s health care, public health, and environmental providers.  The Laboratory supports DPH’s public health programs in disease detection and monitoring, Biomonitoring, environmental health, and the Safe Drinking Water program.  The Laboratory also provides laboratory support for other state agencies, including the Departments of Environmental Protection, Agriculture, Consumer Protection, Public Safety, and Labor, as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The proposed facility would provide new state-of-the-art laboratories to support current testing programs, provide necessary facilities improvements to incorporate future advances in laboratory technology for the detection of disease causing agents, and provide the ability to expand services into areas such as genetics testing and molecular diagnostics.

Project Map: Click here to view a map of the project area.

Written comments from the public concerning the nature and extent of any environmental impacts of the proposed action are welcomed and will be accepted by or with a postmark date of: June 18, 2005.

A Public Scoping Meeting for this project has been scheduled according to the following:

DATE: June 13, 2005

TIME: 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm (doors open at 6:30 pm)

PLACE: Rocky Hill Town Hall, Council Chambers, 761 Old Main Street, Rocky Hill, Connecticut

NOTES: The purpose of the public scoping meeting is to receive public comments and to provide additional information regarding the proposed action.

Written comments should be sent to:

If you have questions about the public meeting, or other questions about the scoping for this project, contact:

The agency anticipates releasing an Environmental Impact Evaluation for this project for public review and comment in the fall of 2005.

2. Notice of Scoping for New Milford Water Pollution Control Facility

Municipality where proposed project would be located: New Milford

Project Description: The proposed expansion and upgrade at the New Milford Water Pollution Control Facility (WPCF) is to address service area growth issues; potential water pollution problems due to poor soils, proximity to ledge, and small lot sizes; and the need to provide advanced wastewater treatment for nutrient removal.  There are proposed and recent significant expansions of the sewer system.  The new sewers address identified new development, with capacity for growth or expansion.  The current New Milford WPCF was not designed to accept and treat the flows from the recent or proposed sewer expansions and does not have adequate capacity to do so without expansion.  Expansion of the WPCF will accommodate existing needs, potential water pollution problems and projected growth consistent with the town’s plan of development.  Upgrade of the WPCF will accommodate nitrogen removal as well as continued phosphorus removal.  The WPCF project will result in improved plant efficiency and positive environmental benefits as a result of improved water quality to the Housatonic River and Long Island Sound. 

Project Map:  Click here to view a map of the sewer service area and areas with sewer needs in New Milford.

Written comments from the public are welcomed and will be accepted until the close of business on:  June 17, 2005

Any person can ask the sponsoring agency to hold a Public Scoping Meeting by sending such a request to the address below.  If a meeting is requested by 25 or more individuals, or by an association that represents 25 or more members, by May 27, 2005, the Department of Environmental Protection will schedule a Public Scoping Meeting.

Additional information about the project can be viewed in person at:

Department of Environmental Protection
Bureau of Water Management
Municipal Facilities Section (2nd Floor)
79 Elm Street, Hartford, CT 06106

Written comments and/or requests to hold a Public Scoping Meeting should be sent to:

Any questions about the project or a public meeting should also be directed to Mr. Denny.

The agency expects to release an Environmental Impact Evaluation for this project, for public review and comment, in July 2005.