To: Alexander Ericson, CT DEEP, Bureau of Water Protection and Land Reuse From: Emily Alexander, Connecticut League of Conservation Voters
Dear Mr. Ericson:
On behalf of the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters, thank you for the opportunity to comment on the tentative decision by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) on Application No. 202001005-WQC by Eversource Energy to discharge industrial wastewater associated with steam electric power generation operations located at 189 Lake Rd, Killingly, CT. We appreciate your consideration of some of the concerns we have with this tentative decision.
We urge the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) to reject this application in the final decision process. The last thing Connecticut needs is more costly pollution. This power plant will not only cause filthy air pollution, but also irreparable water pollution. The dirty wastewater from this plant is likely to contain oil and heavy metals which would be treated at the Killingly water treatment plant and then discharged into the Quinebaug River. Despite being treated, the wastewater going into the river will still contain harmful pollutants. Protecting Connecticut’s water should come before an unnecessary power plant.
This power plant is not only unnecessary but costly to our residents. We have made considerable commitments to clean energy and emissions reduction, but approval of this plant goes directly against Governor Lamont’s Executive Order 3 to ensure a zero-carbon electric grid by 2040. It will increase our continued reliance on fossil fuels and is out of alignment with Connecticut’s Global Warming Solutions Act goals. Investing in gas infrastructure when we already have renewable energy options in the pipeline will hurt our environment and our residents, and will hold Connecticut back from real solutions to climate change and resiliency.
Furthermore, this application does not address perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs). These chemicals must be monitored in the wastewater being generated by this power plant. PFA’s are bioaccumulative, toxic to people and animals, and cannot be broken down. Wastewater will be generated from a number of sources including cleaning equipment and drains. In the future, the Town of Killingly Water Pollution Control Facility may be required to treat these chemicals; and DEEP’s permitting process should require PFAs monitoring to ensure that treatment for them does not fall solely on the rate payers and local tax revenue.
CTLCV strongly opposes this application and hopes that DEEP will reject it in the final decision. Thank you for the opportunity to submit comments on this important issue. Sincerely,
