Environmental Impact Evaluation for Bozrah's Sanitary Sewer Extension
Environmental Impact Evaluation Notice
Notice of an Environmental Impact Evaluation (EIE) for Bozrah’s Sanitary Sewer Extension
Addresses of Possible Project Locations: The project is located along Fitchville Road, Stockhouse Road, River Road, Rachel Drive, Commerce Park Road on State Route 87 in Bozrah, and in State Routes 87 and 32 in Franklin. It will connect to the Town of Franklin sewer system on Route 32.
Municipalities where proposed action is to be located: Bozrah and Franklin
Project Description: The proposed project consists of installing wastewater collection systems in the village section of Bozrah and ultimately connect via Stockhouse Road and Route 87 to the existing Norwich Public Utilities (NPU) sewer on Route 32 in Franklin. The proposed action includes constructing approximately 15,050 linear feet of gravity sanitary sewer, 4 pumping stations, and approximately 3,610 feet of sanitary sewer force main in the Town of Bozrah. The type of construction work required to install sanitary sewer pipes in the road consist of cutting into the roadway, soil excavation and backfilling, and pavement restoration. The Town of Bozrah plans to enter into an intermunicipal agreement with the Town of Franklin to discharge wastewater into the NPU’s collection system. NPU owns and maintains a Combined Sewer Overflow system and Bozrah proposes to discharge up to 200,000 gallons per day design flows from the proposed sanitary sewer service area.
The proposed sanitary sewer service area contains residential areas, as well as areas zoned commercial and industrial that could support potential economic growth consistent with Local and State Plans of Conservation and Development. Additionally, the majority of the Town of Bozrah relies on on-site septic systems for wastewater management and most of these systems were built in the 1980s or earlier. In the Fitchville Village section many of the septic systems are over 60 years old and some serve multi-family housing. Small lot sizes, among other restraints, make most of the Village septic systems impracticable, if not impossible to repair to meet public health code requirements.
The estimated cost of the project is around 15 million dollars. The Town of Bozrah is awarded with a 5 million dollar grant-in-aid approved by the State’s bond commission on March 31, 2022 and a low interest 40-year USDA loan that will be taken out to fund the remaining 10 million dollars.
Project Map: Visit this website to view a map of the project area.
Scoping Notice and Post Scoping Notice: The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection published a Scoping Notice on November 8th, 2022 and a Post-Scoping Notice on November 7th, 2023 for the proposed Sanitary Sewer Extension in the Environmental Monitor. It can be viewed from the links below.
Scoping Notice: https://portal.ct.gov/CEQ/Environmental-Monitor/Environmental-Monitor-Archives/2022/November-8-2022
Post Scoping Notice: https://portal.ct.gov/CEQ/Environmental-Monitor/Environmental-Monitor-Archives/2023/November-7-2023
Comments on this EIE will be accepted until the close of business on: January 5, 2024
The public can view a copy of this EIE at this website: https://portal.ct.gov/CEQ/Environmental-Monitor/Environmental-Monitor//-/media/deep/deep-cepa-uploads/bozrah-sewer-11-17-23-posting/bozrah-sewer-exensioneie-051822.pdf
Other information: The link below are the comments made during the Scoping Notice
https://portal.ct.gov/CEQ/Environmental-Monitor/Environmental-Monitor/-/media/DEEP/Public_Notice_Attachments/Bozrah-Combined-Post-Scoping-Notice-Document.pdf
Send your written comments about this EIE to:
Name: Anthony Poon
Agency: Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Address: 79 Elm Street, Hartford CT 06106
E-Mail: Anthony.poon@ct.gov
If you have questions about this EIE, or similar matters, please contact:
Name: Anthony Poon
Agency: Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Address: 79 Elm Street, Hartford CT 06106
Phone: 860-424-3605
E-Mail: Anthony.poon@ct.gov
What happens next: The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection will review the comments received and may conduct further environmental study and analysis or amend the evaluation. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection will prepare responses to the substantive issues raised in review of and comment on the EIE and any supplemental materials or amendments. Those responses and all supplemental materials and comments shall be made available in a "Record of Decision" which will appear in the Environmental Monitor for public inspection.
Published in the Norwich Bulletin on December 7, 14, and 21, 2023.