What’s the Timeline?
Construction contractors will work as long as weather permits and will focus on laying distribution piping. While it is possible some service connections will occur this year, most homes and businesses covered under the settlement with Saint-Gobain will be connected to municipal water next construction season. Both projects are currently estimated to be completed by October 2018.
How Will Soils Be Managed?
The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is wanting to address concerns about soil generated throughout the construction process. DEC is working with the Town, project engineers, and contractors, to keep soils as close as possible to where the soils are being removed, which will reduce truck traffic and the amount of soils placed as fill at any given location. DEC is also working to ensure that soils generated from the waterline work are managed in a way that does not have the potential to spread PFOA contamination to new areas inadvertently.
The Plan is as Follows:
- The top priority is to put as much soil back into the waterline trenches as possible and every effort will be made to keep soils as close as possible to where they were generated.
- The next option will be to place excess soils into the public right-of-way adjacent to the waterline.
- If excess soils remain following this work, approved private landowner locations will be used. Properties receiving fill must be located within an area that is being connected to municipal water; within an area with limited erosion potential; greater than 100 feet from a wetland, river corridor, or FEMA 100-year floodplain; outside a drinking water source protection area; and away from homes that are in an area not being connected to municipal water.
As many of you are aware, the VT 279 right-of-way near Austin Hill Road was being considered as a location to place soils. The Town and DEC are in the process of revising and re-submitting the Environmental Assessment associated with using the right-of-way to receive soil. The revisions will include responses to public comments. The VT 279 right-of-way location will only be used as a last resort, should the property receive approval for this activity.
For More Information:
- Engineers and contractors submitted a plan to manage these soils. This plan and other updates from DEC can be found on the DEC web page.
- For questions, please contact Elle O'Casey at elle.ocasey@vermont.gov