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August 16, 2022

Scoping Notice

  1. Notice of Scoping for Rehabilitation of Bridge 00793A – Route 15 Northbound Over Quinnipiac River, Wallingford.
  2. Notice of Scoping for Properties at 18-20 and 30 Trinity Street in Hartford.

Scoping Notice - Post-Scoping Notice (Need More Time)

    No notice for additional time has been submitted for publication in this edition. 

Post-Scoping Notice

  1.  NEW! Post-Scoping Notice for the Reconfiguration of Route 17 On-Ramp to Route 9 Northbound, Middletown. 

Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE)

  1. Second Notice of Environmental Impact Evaluation for Mirror Lake Improvements Project, Mansfield.

Agency Record of Decision

  1. Record of Decision for Naugatuck Valley Regional Wastewater Study; Derby, Ansonia, and Seymour.
 
     No Determination of Adequacy Notice has been submitted for publication in this edition.
 
 
     No State Land Transfer Notice has been submitted for publication in this edition.

 

The next edition of the Environmental Monitor will be published on September 6, 2022.
 
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Notices in the Environmental Monitor are written and formatted by the sponsoring agencies and are published unedited. Questions about the content of any notice should be directed to the sponsoring agency.

Inquiries and requests to view or copy documents, pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, must be submitted to the sponsoring state agency.



Scoping Notice

"Scoping" is for projects in the earliest stages of planning.  At the scoping stage, detailed information on a project's design, alternatives, and environmental impacts does not yet exist.  Sponsoring agencies are asking for comments from other agencies and from the public as to the scope of alternatives and environmental impacts that should be considered for further study.  Send your comments to the contact person listed for the project by the date indicated. Read More


The following Scoping Notices have been submitted for publication in this edition.

 1. Notice of Scoping for Rehabilitation of Bridge 00793A – Route 15 Northbound Over Quinnipiac River

Address of possible location: The bridge is located approximately 1.4 miles south of Exit 66 on mile post 59.66.

Municipality where proposed action might be located: Wallingford

Project DescriptionThe purpose of the project is to rehabilitate the existing bridge. Constructed in 1946, the existing structure is comprised of two simply supported spans with a reinforced concrete deck supported by 5 rolled steel beams resting on reinforced concrete abutments and a reinforced concrete pier wall. The existing substructure is founded on timber piles. The existing structure has a maximum span of 51 feet and has a 31-foot curb-to-curb width and a bituminous concrete overlay with woven glass fabric waterproofing membrane. The existing structure length is 107 feet. The average daily traffic (ADT) is approximately 29,600 vehicles per day (2020). The concrete deck deterioration shows deep spalls with exposed rusted rebar and section loss. 

The project is currently in the preliminary design phase. Since the deck was previously patched under a rehabilitation project and due to the extent of deterioration of the deck, a superstructure replacement is anticipated. The current proposed construction method is to demolish the existing bridge superstructure and replace the bridge. Based on the existing condition of the substructure and the fact that the substructure it is founded on piles, the existing substructure shall remain and be repaired as required. On the bridge, an existing historic open bridge rail resides on either side of the bridge. The bridge has been determined eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places as part of a potential Wilbur Cross Parkway Linear Historic District. As such, the proposed project will result in an Adverse Effect to historic properties due to the proposed replacement of the superstructure, including one of the character-defining features of the structure, the metal bridge railings. Coordination with the Connecticut State Historic Preservation Office is ongoing to determine any mitigation measures required for the impact to the bridge. 

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

Written comments from the public are welcomed and will be accepted until the close of business on: Friday August 19, 2022

Any person may ask the sponsoring agency to hold a public scoping meeting by sending such a request to the address below. If a public scoping meeting is requested by 25 or more individuals, or by an association that represents 25 or more members, the sponsoring agency shall schedule a public scoping meeting. Such requests must be made by: July 29,2022

Other Information: A virtual public informational meeting was held on May 12, 2022. A report of the meeting can be found hereA recording of the meeting can be found here

Written comments and/or requests for a public scoping meeting should be sent to (email preferred)

Name: Kevin Fleming, Transportation Planner

Agency: Department of Transportation Bureau of Policy and Planning

Address: 2800 Berlin Turnpike Newington, CT 06131 

E-Mail: dot.environmentalplanning@ct.gov

If you have questions about the scoping for this project, contact (email preferred):

Name: Nicholas J. MartinTransportation Engineer 

Agency: Department of Transportation, Bureau of Engineering and Construction

Address: 2800 Berlin Turnpike Newington, CT 06131

Phone: 860-594-3609

E-Mail: Nicholas.Martin@ct.gov

Inquiries and requests to view and or copy documents, pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, must be submitted to the sponsoring state agency:

Name: Ms. Alice M. Sexton

Agency: Department of Transportation Office of Legal Services 

Address: 2800 Berlin Turnpike Newington, CT 06131 

E-Mail: Alice.Sexton@ct.gov

What Happens Next: The sponsoring agency will make a determination whether to proceed with preparation of an Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE) or that the project does not require the preparation of an EIE under the Connecticut Environmental Policy Act (CEPA). A Post-Scoping Notice of its decision will appear in a future edition of the Environmental Monitor.


2. Notice of Scoping for Properties at 18-20 and 30 Trinity Street in Hartford

Addresses of possible location: 18-20 Trinity Street, and 30 Trinity Street

Municipality where proposed action might be located: Hartford

Project Description: The Department of Administrative Services (DAS) is proposing the sale and transfer of the subject properties to a private developer who will restore the existing historic buildings into a mixed-use redevelopment consisting of approximately 110 apartment units, ground floor restaurant/retail space, an outdoor plaza and amenities for residents including co-working office space, a fitness center, a yoga studio, and a community room and rooftop garden at 18-20 Trinity Street.

Apartment units will include a mix of studio, one-, and two-bedroom apartments consisting of 80% market rate and 20% affordable units restricted to those earning less than 60% of the area median income.

The proposal intends to utilize the properties’ existing 67 surface parking spaces, and to seek additional parking capacity through a shared parking arrangement on nearby property owned by the the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA). 

The proposed project was selected in response to a DAS-issued Request for Proposals (RFP) which sought to transfer the properties to a private developer interested in redeveloping the subject properties for their highest and best use, consistent with the City of Hartford and the State of Connecticut’s economic development goals.

The subject properties are also identified in the Bushnell Park South Master Plan developed by the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) and the City of Hartford. 

The properties were previously published in the Environmental Monitor as a State Land Transfer Notice on March 16, 2021, in accordance with Connecticut General Statutes Section 4b-47.  No comments were received.

Project MapClick here to view a map of the project area.

Written comments from the public are welcomed and will be accepted until the close of business on: Friday, August 19, 2022.

Any person may ask the sponsoring agency to hold a public scoping meeting by sending such a request to the address below. If a public scoping meeting is requested by 25 or more individuals, or by an association that represents 25 or more members, the sponsoring agency shall schedule a public scoping meeting. Such requests must be made by: July 29, 2022.

Written comments and/or requests for a public scoping meeting should be sent to (email preferred):

Name: Matthew Pafford

Agency: Department of Administrative Services (DAS)

Address: 450 Columbus Boulevard, Hartford, CT

E-Mail: matthew.pafford@ct.gov 

Inquiries and requests to view and or copy documents, pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, must be submitted to the sponsoring state agency:

Name: Michael Barrera

Agency: Department of Administrative Services (DAS) 

Address: 450 Columbus Boulevard, Hartford, CT

E-Mail: michael.barrera@ct.gov

What Happens Next: The sponsoring agency will make a determination whether to proceed with preparation of an Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE) or that the project does not require the preparation of an EIE under the Connecticut Environmental Policy Act (CEPA). A Post-Scoping Notice of its decision will appear in a future edition of the Environmental Monitor.


Scoping Notice - Post-Scoping Notice (Need More Time)

If an agency is unable to publish a Post-Scoping Notice within six months after the comment period for scoping, the agency will publish an update with an action status and an estimate as to when a Post-Scoping Notice will be published. Such an update will be published by the agency at six-month intervals until the Post-Scoping Notice is published. Read More


No notice for additional time has been submitted for publication in this edition.


Post-Scoping Notice

A Post-Scoping Notice is the determination by a sponsoring agency, after publication of a Scoping Notice and consideration of comments received, whether an Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE) needs to be prepared for a proposed State action. Read More


The following Post-Scoping Notice has been submitted for publication in this edition.

1. Post-Scoping Notice for the Reconfiguration of Route 17 On-Ramp to Route 9 Northbound

Address of Possible Project: The project is located on Route 17 between Log Mile 21.65 and 22.50. Route 9 overlaps Route 17 through a portion of this project between Log Mile 23.46 to 23.90.  Main Street Extension is a local roadway located south of downtown Main Street.  Union Street, River Road and Harbor Drive are also local roadways and provide access to Harbor Park and waterfront properties. 

Municipality where it would be located: Middletown

Connecticut Environmental Policy Act (CEPA) Determination: On January 18, 2022, the Connecticut Department of Transportation published a Notice of Scoping to solicit public comments for this proposed project in the Environmental Monitor.

Comments were received during the public comment period from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and from one member of the general public. A synopsis of the comments received and CTDOT's responses, where applicable, are included in the Environmental Review Checklist.   

After consideration of the comments received, CTDOT has determined the project does not require the preparation of an Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE) under CEPA. CTDOT's conclusion is documented in a Memo of Findings and Determination and an Environmental Review Checklist.
 
Agency contact (Email preferred):

Name: Mr. Kevin Fleming, Transportation Planner
Agency: 
Connecticut Department of Transportation, Office of Environmental Planning
Address:
 2800 Berlin Turnpike, Newington, CT 06131
Phone:
 860-594-2924
E-Mail: Kevin.Fleming@ct.gov

Inquiries and requests to view and or copy documents, pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, must be submitted to the sponsoring State agency:

Name: Ms. Alice M. Sexton
Agency: 
Connecticut Department of Transportation, Office of Legal Services
Address:
 2800 Berlin Turnpike, Newington, CT 06131
Phone:
 860-594-3045
E-Mail: Alice.Sexton@ct.gov

What Happens Next:The CTDOT expects the project to go forward.  This is expected to be the final notice of the project to be published in the Environmental Monitor.


EIE Notice

After Scoping, an agency that wishes to undertake an action that could significantly affect the environment must produce, for public review and comment, a detailed written evaluation of the expected environmental impacts. This is called an Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE)Read More


The following EIE Notice has been submitted for publication in this edition. 

1. Second Notice of Environmental Impact Evaluation for Mirror Lake Improvements Project

Address of Project Location: Mansfield Road at the University of Connecticut, Storrs

Municipality where it is located: Mansfield

Project Description: The University of Connecticut proposes to make improvements to Mirror Lake – an approximately 5-acre stormwater basin on the University’s Storrs Campus. The proposed project consists of the following elements:

  • Dam safety improvements, including replacing the existing spillway with a stepped spillway and raising the dam’s earthen embankment

  • Stormwater management improvements, including the rerouting of several discharge points into sedimentation forebays and regrading of upstream and downstream slopes

  • Dredging and improvements to aquatic ecosystems, including the use of hydraulic and mechanical dredging to remove accumulated sediments and restore the lake depth

  • Landscape improvements, including littoral zone plantings and site-specific amenities that enhance cultural benefits and improve access to the water’s edge

Scoping Notice and Post-Scoping Notice: Beginning on November 16, 2021, the University of Connecticut published the first of three Notices of Scoping in the Environmental Monitor. A public scoping meeting was held virtually on December 8, 2021, and the 30-day comment period closed on December 16, 2021.  The University of Connecticut published a post-scoping notice on February 22, 2022 in the Environmental Monitor.

 

Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE) Notice: On April 5, 2022, the University published a Notice of Availability of an Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE) in the Environmental Monitor and held a public hearing on April 13, 2022.  Additional information regarding the project, its notices and a recording of the hearing is available at https://updc.uconn.edu/mirror-lake.

 

A copy of the EIE is available at: https://s.uconn.edu/mleie

 

Questions and comments on the EIE were received through May 20, 2022.  Additional questions or comments will be accepted until 5 pm on Friday, September 16, 2022to the agency contact below.  Requests for a second public hearing on this EIE must be received by 5 pm on Friday, August 12, 2022.  Email is preferred, please use “Mirror Lake EIE” in the subject line:

Name:  Ian Dann, Project Manager

Agency:  University Planning, Design and Construction

Address:  3 Discovery Drive U-6038, Storrs, Connecticut 06269-6038

Phone:  (860) 486-6503

E-Mail:  ian.dann@uconn.edu

Inquiries and requests to view and or copy documents, pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, must be submitted at https://publicrecords.uconn.edu/make-a-request/.

What happens next: The University submitted its Record of Decision to the Office of Policy and Management (OPM) for review, pending additional comments. A revised Record of Decision and OPM's Determination of Adequacy will each appear in a future edition of the Environmental Monitor.


Agency Record of Decision

After an ;Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE) is developed, an agency will prepare a concise public record of decision, which takes into consideration the agency’s findings in the EIE, and any comments received on that evaluation. Read More 


The following Record of Decision Notice has been submitted for publication in this edition.

1. Record of Decision for Naugatuck Valley Regional Wastewater Study

Municipalities where proposed action is to be located: Ansonia, Derby, Seymour

Project Description: The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), together with the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG), evaluated potential wastewater treatment consolidation alternatives for five municipalities in the Naugatuck Valley.  The purpose and need of this study are to identify and evaluate feasible and cost-effective options for reducing the number of treatment facilities while addressing the wastewater treatment challenges faced by the participating municipalities. This is being done to evaluate future wastewater treatment costs and enhance treatment capacity, reliability, and environmental quality. 

The NVCOG received a grant award from the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management (OPM) to conduct a study of regional wastewater treatment alternatives for several communities that are burdened by deficient treatment facilities, regulatory compliance citations, and/or the high cost of upgrading or maintaining individual wastewater treatment facilities.  

Phase 1 of the study analyzed existing conditions and capacities at facilities in the participating towns and included community outreach to each of the participating municipalities.  Phase 1 was completed in spring 2019 and resulted in a broad list of potential alternatives that required more thorough evaluation. 

Phase 2 of the study narrowed down the list of alternatives, only those alternatives considered to be prudent and feasible were the subject of a more extensive technical and engineering analysis. 

While the Phase 1 evaluation included the municipalities of Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Derby, Naugatuck and Seymour, the final most cost effective and technically feasible recommendation is for a regional wastewater utility providing service to Ansonia, Derby, and Seymour. The wastewater treatment plants in Derby and Seymour would be converted to Pump Stations and flows from these two communities would be conveyed to Ansonia for treatment. The treatment plant in Ansonia would be upgraded to accept flows from Derby and Seymour. As part of the recommended plan, fully treated plant effluent will be conveyed south to discharge to the Housatonic River near the existing Derby wastewater plant.

Connecticut Environmental Policy Act (CEPA) Determination: On October 5, 2021, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection published a Notice of Availability of an Environmental Impact Evaluation, in accordance with Section 22a-1d of CEPA, in the Environmental Monitor.

A comment was received from the general public and from the Council of Environmental Quality. DEEP has prepared responses to the substantive issues raised in the comments on the EIE and on supplemental materials or amendments. The comments and DEEP's responses to comments and conclusion are documented in the Record of Decision for the proposed action, as well as in the Supplement to the Record of Decision Project Information, and Supplement to the Record of Decision Natural Diversity Database Consultation.

Agency contact:

Name: Carlos Esguerra

Agency: Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

Address: 79 Elm Street

Phone: 860-424-3756

E-Mail: Carlos.Esguessra@ct.gov

Inquiries and requests to view and or copy documents, pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, must be submitted to the sponsoring state agency.

What happens next: DEEP has submitted the Record of Decision to the Office of Policy and Management (OPM) for review. OPM's determination regarding the Record of Decision will appear in a future edition of the Environmental Monitor.


OPM's Determination of Adequacy

After an Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE) is developed. the Office of Policy and Management (OPM) will determine if the EIE is adequate. If not, OPM will specify the areas of inadequacy with reference to CEPA or the CEPA regulations and specify the corrective action required. Read More 


No Determination of Adequacy Notice has been submitted for publication in this edition.


State Land Transfer Notice

Connecticut General Statutes Section 4b-47 requires public notice of most proposed sales and transfers of state-owned lands. The public has an opportunity to comment on any such proposed transfer. Each notice includes an address where comments should be sent. Read more about the process


No State Land Transfer Notice has been submitted for publication in this edition.


 

CEPA Project Inventory

The Office of Policy and Management (OPM) maintains a list of projects they have entered the CEPA process. It shows each project's status. The inventory can be found here.


CEQ Contact Information

All inquiries and requests of the Council should be sent electronically to: paul.aresta@ct.gov.


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