CHAPTER
SEVEN: PROBLEMS
The Town of Branford, like so many urban/suburban areas
has a number of environment problems associated with
human activity. These problems are typically the result
of poor land planning practices of the past and inadequate
disposal of wastes. Although much of the Town has escaped
some of the worst problems we have seen in suburban
areas, there are still a number of problems that have
the potential to cause harm to the humans, plants and
other animals that live here. The information presented
below is based solely on those problems that are listed
with the Town, State or Federal governments. Budget
constraints did not allow for additional surveys or
assessments. As a result, this database is far from
complete and it is recommended that the Town commit
resources in the future to properly document the extent
of environmental problems within its borders.
Landfills
The Branford landfill is located at the end of Marshall
Road (located off Tabor Drive) approximately 2000 ft.
north of Long Island Sound. The landfill covers a total
area of approximately 28.5 acres and includes two disposal
areas; a solid waste disposal site that covers about
10.2 acres and includes an older solid waste landfill
located on the ZuWalick property, and a bulky and special
waste disposal site to the east that covers approximately
18.4 acres. Much of the landfill stopped receiving materials
during the mid to late 1990's and only a small portion
of the eastern tract currently receives bulky waste
and special wastes as approved by the DEP.
The remainder of the site is now being prepared for
final closure activities. By 2000, closure had progressed
to mixing and grading work. This year it is anticipated
that almost 15,000 cubic yards of clean soil will be
added to the top to form an 18-inch cap for the nearly
6 acres of area. The top and the sides will be stabilized
with grasses, and erosion rills will be fixed throughout
the landfill.
Due to problems with potential groundwater contamination,
homes in the area were hooked up to public water supplies
during the late 1980s. Since that time, no domestic
water supplies were coming from the aquifer so water-monitoring
plans needed only to report on ground and surface water
testing. A monitoring plan for the landfill was established
during the mid 1980's. Six groundwater monitoring wells,
three surface water sampling stations and four methane
gas ports were established to document any pollution
the landfill may cause. During the late 1980's, two
plumes of leachate (materials from the landfill) were
noted heading outward from the landfill: a larger one
that includes the ZuWalick property that is heading
in a west to southwest direction towards Sybil Creek
and a much smaller one that is moving slowly to the
east.
Sampling conducted in 1985 showed that all of the wells
had elevated levels of ammonia, nitrogen, chlorides
and suspended solids. In 1987, monitoring was expanded
to include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as
xylene, toluene and benzene, compounds common to landfill
leachate. Although these compounds can be a problem
to living organisms, they were not found to be in concentrations
sufficient to cause significant harm to the environment.
However, there were instances where the presence of
certain compounds did exceed National Primary and Secondary
Drinking Water Standards (i.e., dissolvable manganese,
dissolved solids, ammonia). Thus, in 1989, the State
issued a directive (Consent Order #WC4869, August 21,
1989) to connect all residents in the area to public
water.
Well monitoring has continued through to the present
(Fuss and O'Neill, Inc. Consulting Engineers, 146 Hartford
Road, Manchester, CT 06040). As of 2000 (reported in
2001), there were few changes in the concentrations
of chemicals in the groundwater and the plume moved
slightly west of its 1999 position. A comparison between
1987 and 2000 shows that, for the most part, there has
been no increase in any of the leachates to the groundwater
and, in a few instances, some chemicals even dropped
in the monitoring wells (i.e., 1,4 -- dichlorobenzene).
Some of the changes to the plume in recent years include
a decrease in ammonia and an increase in chlorides,
the later probably the result of brackish water intrusion
rather than leaching from the landfill. One VOC, chlorobenzene,
exceeded State of Connecticut Dept. of Health Services
Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) in all monitoring events
(100 -- 170 mg/L; the MCL is 100 mg/L). The plume continues
its movement down-gradient, but at a relatively slow
pace. Since no drinking water is taken from the ground,
no further remediation is required. Surface waters show
little impact from the landfill except higher chloride
and sodium concentrations, again most likely the result
of saline water intrusion rather than a problem with
the landfill itself.
There is another landfill located in the western portion
of Town that was used by the DOT for construction debris
and road material. This site has been inactive for a
number of years and little information about the site
is available.
Septic and Sewer Systems
At present, a significant portion of the residential
areas in Town are served by the sewer treatment system
(Figure 14:
Point & Non-point Source Pollution, shaded area
on map). The areas remaining that are not served include
much of the east and portions of the central and north
central sections of Town. Those areas not served by
the sewage treatment system are the least densely developed
parts of Town and are served by individual septic systems.
The septic systems are designed to remove solids and
nitrogen wastes from household water through filtering
in the soil over a specified period of time and rate.
The design of the system and its capacity is a function
of the soils underlying the septic system (i.e., percolation
rates). Each system must be designed specifically for
the waste stream it is intended to treat. These systems
can function efficiently if they are maintained properly
(i.e., proper cleanouts, working pipes).
The type and location of septic systems are not maintained
as a list by the health department. Since it would be
impractical to list the systems file by file for this
report (time and money would not allow for such an accounting),
refer to the Problems Map for an indication of where
septic systems are located (areas not shaded in purple).
For more specific information contact the East Shore
District Health Department at (203)481-4233 (see contact
information in Appendix V: Contact Information).
The Sewage Treatment plant is presently undergoing a
significant upgrade in its facilities. Part of the upgrade
is to handle more capacity and the other part of the
upgrade is to improve nitrogen removal. The plant will
be upgraded to handle a maximum capacity of 6.9 million
gallons, up from the 4.2 million gallon capacity it
can now handle. Another upgrade to the system will include
denitrification of the treated water to a maximum of
5 mg/L nitrogen in the discharge to Branford Harbor
and LIS. The additions and changes to the treatment
plant include a new pretreatment building, new primary
settling tanks, secondary clarifiers and processing
building and the addition of a new truck loading building
that will greatly reduce many of the odors associated
with the plant. The application process is still on-going
but is expected to be complete within the next few months.
Work on the treatment plant is expected to continue
through 2003.
Hazardous Waste Sites
Although there are probably many smaller hazardous waste
sites around Town (i.e., forgotten or buried oil drums)
the extent of their presence is unknown. At present
there are only a few dozen known hazardous waste sites
around Town (Figure
14). These vary in size and material from the heavy
metals contamination at the old MIF (Malleable Iron
Fittings Co.) site located near the Town's railroad
station to dust (fines) removal from crushed trap rock
at the Tilcon (New Haven Trap Rock) shipping facility
on Juniper Point. Table 7 has a listing of the known
point hazardous waste sites in Town. As one can see,
this list is far from being complete. For example, the
database does not list Nutmeg Steel off Elm Street,
an industrial site contaminated with heavy metals and
asbestos from their steel operations over the last half-century
or so. In the future, it is recommended that money be
obtained to conduct a full survey of the Town's brown
fields and other contaminated sites and that the database
be upgraded and maintained.
Pesticides/Herbicides
There are no records as to pesticide or herbicide use
around Town. The use of these chemicals are on an individual
basis and can vary from use of a pesticide on rose bushes
to broadcast spraying of these chemicals on golf course
fairways (information on amounts are not available to
the public). Many of the present class of chemical pesticides
and herbicides are less persistent than those of years
ago. For example, any land that was farmed (particularly
orchards) during the 1950s and 1960s probably had DDT
applied to the soils. These chemicals are very persistent
and can still be detected today. For more information
on pesticides and herbicides, contact municipal, state
or federal agencies directly (see Appendix
V: Contact Information).
FLOOD HAZARDS
Inland
Flood hazard sites are defined here as all areas within
the 100 year floodway and the wave action zone along
the coast (Figure
15). Flooding in these areas will vary depending
on a number of factors including density of development,
function of the storm water drainage system, maintenance
of the storm water drainage system, tide height during
the storm and relative elevations of the drain and high
tide, among others. Although any structure located within
the floodway has the potential for flood damage, there
are some areas where poor drainage design creates chronic
problems. For example, many of the railroad underpasses
flood on a regular basis including the Route 1 underpass
and particularly those along Route 146 at Montowese
Street and a smaller pass at the head of Indian Neck
Avenue near the railroad station. One of the most impacted
watersheds in Town is the Mill Creek system (see below).
Extensive development throughout the watershed has created
downstream flooding on even minor storms, particularly
when they occur at high tide. This can often be seen
as flooding across Maple Street. Flooding used to be
common behind the High School, however, much of that
problem was mitigated recently with improvements to
the grounds and ball fields.
Figure 15 shows the main bodies of water and the 100-year
floodway. Any structure located within the floodway
does have the potential to flood, although most structures
are designed at an elevation that should minimize the
damage during the 100 year storm. Although Figure 15
also includes the 500-year storm floodway, the Town
does not regulate these events and structures are not
required to protect themselves from damage during these
storms. The 500-year floodway also includes all 100-year
floodways and wetland systems down-gradient. The maps
presented here are meant for informational purposes
and cannot be used to judge flooding at any one site.
Any individual wanting to know more about the potential
for flooding on their property should visit Town Hall
and study the flood maps on file.
Flood hazards are intensified by development (Table
8). Although elevation plays a role, the addition of
impervious surface to a watershed increases flows and
changes hydrographs for the area. Thus, a structure
that appears to be out of harms way based on elevation
can still experience damage during flood events due
to two main problems; (1) the water cannot drain off
of the landscape properly or (2) it drains so fast from
the upper reaches that the downstream levels of water
are artificially driven upward and the flood extends
beyond the known floodway. Figure 16 shows the extent
of impervious surfaces in Town. If we use the Mill Creek
basin (Figure
17: Impervious Surfaces Mill Creek) as an example
(shading on Figure
16 and Figure
17), about 28% of the watershed is covered with
pavement or rooftop of some kind. This means that water
from that 28% of the land is almost immediately added
to the drainage ways on the landscape. Channels and
culverts that were designed to carry a certain amount
of water over a specific amount of time are now carrying
more water in less amount of time. The result is that
flooding is now common within the watershed, even on
smaller storm events that should not be a problem. Attempts
to retain the water onsite are now just being added
to site plans. Walmart has retention under its parking
lot and all new commercial construction in the basin
will be required to provide similar engineering practices.
Although the Mill Creek is just one example, this problem
is repeated throughout the area (i.e., Farm River along
the East Haven border).
Coastal
Out along the coast, besides flooding, wave action is
also a problem, particularly during high winds and storms
that track northward across the LIS. This wave action
can increase erosion and place strain on flood control
devices that are normally there to protect inland areas
from flooding. The amount of impact wave action will
have on a property will be directly proportional to
how open the site is to the Sound or harbor areas and
the elevation of the site above sea level.
Although the flood maps are able to determine the potential
for flooding, it is important to consider that much
of Branford is situated along the coast. At present,
Connecticut (and the rest of the east coast of the US)
is in a period of accelerated sea level rise. Conservative
estimates place the rate of rise at, at least, 6 inches
in the next 30 to 50 years. This 6-inch rise in sea
level translates to much more than 6 inches of water
throughout the Town. As the sea level rises, coastal
marshes that act as sponges on the landscape, will begin
to disappear since they cannot transgress landward due
to the intensity of development along much of the coast
(Orson 1996) (our present coastal regulations only leave
a 25-foot setback for development and the marsh system
will not be able to maintain its habitat as it rolls
closer to people's backyards). The loss of these natural
sponges will allow more water to make its way onto the
upland during a storm. In addition, the increased relative
sea levels will significantly reduce drainage off of
the upland (particularly at high tide) and, when combined
with increased amounts of water, will greatly magnify
the impacts of storms on the Town. As sea level rises,
wave action will also move further inland, (rate depends
on slope of the land) and erosion may be experienced
in areas that have never experienced it in the past.
Ground water tables will also be forced upward and storm
drains, dry wells and septic systems that have been
designed using today's standards will become less and
less effective. House foundations that are within of
a foot of the present water table can expect to see
increased basement flooding and damage due to high water
tables. Unfortunately, sea level rise is not considered
in any of the Town's or State's coastal or inland regulations
and as more development occurs, more problems will arise
in the future.
.
Underground Storage Tanks (UST)
Underground storage tanks (UST) have the potential to
cause significant damage to underground water resources
if they begin to fail. Often times the failure of a
UST is not found until a significant pollution event
has occurred. This makes this resource one of the most
potentially harmful problems on a site-to-site basis
and one that is important to the Town.
Unfortunately, the Town does not have or maintain records
of the UST within its borders. When most UST were installed,
no record of their installation or capacity was required.
At present only new UST are permitted and recorded by
the Building and Engineering Department and only those
that have been removed are listed with the Fire Department.
Neither department keeps a tally or record of these
USTs except on a file-by-file basis. The budget for
this NRI does not provide funds to sift through the
records and tabulate the USTs in Town. For more information
pertaining to specific sites, contact the Fire Department
at (203)488-7266 for UST that have been removed and
the Building and Engineering Department at (203)488-1651
for new installations.
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