Connecticut Town Raises Stink, Sues DOC for Wastewater Plant's Upgrade
The town of Cheshire, Connecticut, has decided it won't take anymore crap from the state's Department of Corrections.
A lawsuit filed by Cheshire officials in July 2012 seeks to renegotiate the terms of an agreement with Connecticut's DOC to upgrade the town's wastewater treatment plant because of the amount of waste flowing into Cheshire from a nearby prison complex. The current agreement allows for 350,000 gallons of effluent each day from the complex, which houses about 2,000 prisoners at the Cheshire Correctional Institution and the Manson Youth Institution. The average amount of effluent in a recent month, however, was about 625,000 gallons, according to one town official.
The town wants CDOC to contribute up to 20% of a planned $31-million upgrade, which was set to begin in fall 2012 and should take more than two years to complete. According to Cheshire Town Manager Michael Milone, the lawsuit was prompted by the state Senate's failure to pass legislation that would've required CDOC to renegotiate.
"We feel we've exhausted all of our options," Milone said. "We're at a point where time is of the essence, and the amount of money we're talking about in terms of the state's share is considerable."
Sources: Associated Press, www.therepublic.com
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