Date: Fri 25-Jun-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

Boylan-P&Z-aquifer

Full Text:

P&Z Member Seeks Inventory Of Aquifer Hazards

BY ANDREW GOROSKO

In view of the new tougher aquifer protection regulations recently approved by

the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z), which seeks to prevent the future

contamination of the Pootatuck Aquifer, a P&Z member is calling for the town

to take stock of existing groundwater contamination hazards within the Aquifer

Protection District (APD).

P&Z member James Boylan, at a June 17 P&Z meeting, noted that the stringent

aquifer protection regulations recently approved by the P&Z place many future

prohibitions on activities considered to pose pollution risks to the Pootatuck

Aquifer, the town's sole source aquifer.

But, Mr Boylan said, there may be many existing land uses along South Main

Street that may violate the new aquifer protection regulations. The southern

section of South Main Street lies in the APD.

The new regulations which took effect June 21 cannot be imposed retroactively,

explained Elizabeth Stocker, the P&Z's planning aide.

Mr Boylan recommended, however, that the town make an inventory of existing

land uses in the APD which pose aquifer contamination hazards. If pollution

problems are found, the town should require those property owners to employ

"best management practices" to correct the pollution problems, he said.

"It's fine to plan for future problems," Mr Boyland said, "but how does the

town deal with existing problems? Let's look at what's out there today."

Ms Stocker suggested that an intern to be employed by the land use office

review existing hazardous land uses in the APD, with an eye toward creating an

aquifer contamination hazard list.

Such a list could be keyed to commercial land uses, such as gas stations, Mr

Boylan said.

Mr Boylan went on to say there might be 50 to 80 properties in the APD which

pose pollution hazards to the aquifer.

According to Ms Stocker, the number might be closer to 25 properties.

The APD contains the Pootatuck Aquifer, an area of varying width which

generally follows the course of the Pootatuck River through town from its

headwaters in the vicinity of the Monroe border northward to Sandy Hook

Center.

P&Z members earlier this month approved tougher revised aquifer protection

regulations intended to better safeguard the quality of existing and potential

underground drinking water supplies in the Pootatuck Aquifer. The new

regulations greatly expand and more explicitly state the rules the P&Z uses to

protect groundwater quality in the APD. The rules apply to "stratified drift"

aquifers, or those such as the Pootatuck Aquifer, in which subterranean water

supplies are contained within layered bands of sand, gravel and boulders.

The regulations seek to protect groundwater quality by prohibiting within the

APD land uses which can contaminate groundwater and by regulating other land

uses which may potentially contaminate or degrade existing and potential

groundwater supplies. The aquifer is susceptible to contamination due to its

high porosity and shallow water table which is recharged mainly by

precipitation that sinks into it from the ground surface above.