State Representative John Harkins (R-120) and State Senator Dan Debicella (R-21) have formally called on the
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to listen to the concerns of Stratford residents and consider alternatives for cleaning up contaminated soil on the Raymark properties in Stratford.

The EPA recently proposed digging up contaminated soil from over 20 sites polluted by Raymark Industries and consolidating them in 1-3 sites in South Stratford. The effort would involve thousands of dump trucks worth of soil being carried around Stratford, before they would be consolidated and capped with non-contaminated soil.

Debicella said this course of action was arrived at too quickly and without considering any alternatives. “We need to have a real debate about alternative proposals, including removing the contaminated dirt from Stratford and capping the most contaminated properties first,” said Debicella. “There are too many inherent risks with the current proposal which calls for digging up these contaminants and moving them around town. We owe it to the people of Stratford to have a real discussion about alternatives.”

Harkins said there needs to be a collaborative effort on the part of federal, state, and local government officials. “We need Rosa DeLauro to get involved on the federal level, and coordination with local officials,” Harkins said. “We need to ensure we have everyone talking to each other to ensure the final proposal is what is best for Stratford. We do not believe the EPA’s current proposal is the best one for Stratford, and hope that we can fully explore alternatives.

“It is flat out wrong and ought to be illegal that a federal agency such as the EPA can arbitrarily set a price they are willing to pay on the health and safety of its citizens by intentionally limiting resources for remediation,” Harkins said. “The EPA doesn’t want to invest the money it takes to assure public safety, but the federal government seems to be able to find all the money they want to purchase beachfront property in Stratford. It’s shameful.”