HEAT has asked each of the four First Selectman candidate for their position statement and has posted them in the order in which they were received.
Pat Llodra, Repbulican Candidate for First Selectman
Regarding the HRR transfer station activity and proposal in Hawleyville:
My position aligns directly and without question to the statements in the petition below.
It is the fundamental human right of every child and adult to breathe clean air, drink clean, fresh water and live in a community where every individual’s health and safety are equally protected.
It is the responsibility of government and those elected federal, state and local officials to serve all persons in this generation and the generations to come through the creation and enactment of laws that secure a healthy environment.
We believe in the protection of all wildlife and ecosystems acknowledging their same needs of clean water and clean air for survival and the maintenance of biological lifecycles.
We, the undersigned, call on Attorney General Blumenthal and Governor J. Rell and the Department of Environmental Protection to prevent the pollution of our Pond Brook Aquifer, by the Housatonic Railroad Corporation and Newtown Transload, LLC.
We demand the remediation of our wetlands and the removal of fill that has been dumped on top of our primary class “GA” water source; one that is state mandated to require the highest level of protection.
We further call on the Attorney General, Governor J. Rell and the Department of Environmental Protection to secure protection of the Pond Brook aquifer and to oppose the permit application of the Housatonic Railroad Corporation to the Department of Environmental Protection.
Simply stated, I agree that there is no greater charge to local government than to protect and preserve the health and safety of all residents and to vigorously oppose any activity that is inconsistent with that goal. As your first selectman, I accept responsibility for and will act on that charge.
This battle has many fronts, local, regional, state, and federal. I will use the ‘bully pulpit’ of the 1st selectman’s office to focus the fight at all those levels. Locally, the issue is prominently engaged by our land use agencies. As 1st selectman I will ensure that the issue remains at the top of the agenda for those agencies and that those personnel remain focused on the end goal. Further, I pledge to provide the resources needed by our land use agencies to sustain the effort against the transfer station activity until the issue is resolved. Also, we need to continue to flex our muscle using all the strategies available to us: citations, cease and desist orders, observations, data collections, nuisance violations all play a role in keeping the pressure on and holding the railroad accountable. I support these actions and will look to more of the same. I also encourage continued involvement between our local land use officials and the office of the state attorney general. I will join in that effort and will make my presence a part of the problem-solving process. All of these actions communicate to the railroad that they will be held accountable; that our community is able to fight the battle wisely, persistently, and legally, and on many fronts simultaneously.
I will work with HVCEO to elevate their role from passive support to focused pressure on legislators. HVCEO has a stake in the jurisdictional issues to be determined and should be more aggressive in using their power to influence the outcome through the legislators that serve the Housatonic Valley communities.
At the state level, I will call upon our Newtown legislators to elevate their focus on the processes and actions of the state DEP and jurisdictional agencies. It is reasonable to expect that our legislators be ever-present and vigilant regarding this issue. These same elected folks should use the power of their ‘bully pulpit’ to advance our cause whenever and however possible. State level elected officials also have access and influence with federal level officials and policy makers. I expect them to use that access and influence for our benefit. Also, I expect to hear more from them about their actions on our behalf. What is effective and what is merely lip-service?
Finally, we need to call upon our congressmen and senators to be more engaged in a review at the federal level of the laws which describe and define the powers of railroads. If in fact, the intent of the recent railroad act was to give states (and therefore their local counterparts) more authority over the development activity of railroads, then we need help and support in making this happen. Our federal legislators should not get a ‘pass’ just because they are somewhat removed from our daily work. They need to step up their support and help resolve the issue to our benefit. We have a right to expect more from them. What are they actually doing for us in this issue?
Pat Llodra
Republican Candidate for First Selectman
10/24/09
Bruce Walczak
The Independent Party of Newtown’s position is very clear on the Hawleyville railroad transfer facility.
First They must provide full disclosure of all past activities, including changes to the property and all fill operations. They must fully respond to the CT Department of Environmental Protection request for further information, and cooperate with The Corp Of Engineers.
Second The Railway must comply fully to all local, state and federal regulations. In addition they must not hide behind Federal laws protecting Interstate Transit if those regulations are not also in the best interests in Newtown.
Third They must demonstrate a sincere willingness to work with Newtown as a community to maintain a ecologically safe facility which does not offends the sensibilities of the community.
Fourth The Railway should establish a community advisory board made up of Newtown residents to help guide the facility in ongoing operations.
No one is please with having this type of transfer station in Newtown, and it would be nice if it were located elsewhere. However since it is in place, we must do everything to encourage and force them to be good neighbors in every sense of the word.
Bruce W. Walczak
Independent Party of Newtown Candidate for First Selectman
10/25/09
Gary Fetzer
I WILL NOT REST UNTIL THE TRANSFER STATION IS OUT OF HAWLEYVILLE - PERIOD.
I do not want to work with the railroad to make sure they comply with regulations. I do not care about disclosures that we learned we can not trust. Nor do I trust their willingness to work with the community
I do not agree with my republican opponent that we should have any "sympathy for the railroad" nor do I have patience on this issue. The holding action is at the local and state level but the real change can only come at the federal level.
Finally, I certainly do not agree with my IPN opponent that "since it is in place, we must do everything to encourage and force them to be good neighbors in every sense of the word." I do not want them as neighbors, nor am I giving up.
Having lived in Hawleyville for over 15 years I understand the impact this facility has on the economic growth of the area, as well as endangering the health of the residents. The last time I drove by, a cloud of dust engulfed the entire area. Their presence threatens our aquifer, and the trucks carrying hazardous waste along our roads is a menace to the entire town.
After the election, even before I am sworn in, I will visit Washington, to talk to those legislators that can have a direct impact on this issue. That is how important saving Hawleyville is to me. I have worked with these elected officials before on similar issues, and as a former lobbyist representing cities and towns I believe that I have the background and experience to get the job done.
Gary Fetzer
Democratic Candidate for First Selectman
10/26/2009