Tire Pond Toxins Worry North Haven Residents
The Department of Environmental Protection has been working on a hefty cleanup at what's known as Tire Pond on the North Haven-Hamden line, and residents in North Haven are concerned about the environmental impact.
Fifteen to 30 million tires are buried in 27 acres of land and the DEP has been trying to fill the area with dirt. The latest dirt to be added comes from the Newhall section of Hamden, where the soil has been found too toxic for residential use.
North Haven residents are worried that the toxins will be carried across the border and will impact their environment and the Quinnipiac River.
"A lot of stuff has been going into that river, and supposedly it was starting to improve. Well adding more toxic waste there, because the state says that’s where they’re going to put it, isn’t the answer. North Haven has had enough," said Mary Mahon, who sits on the North Haven Conservation Commission.
"All I want to say is, North Haven is not a dump site, and if they think they’re moving stuff from Hamden to North Haven, it’s only for greed because they don’t have to ship it a long distance," said Ron Parese of North Haven.
So, one by one they made their concerns heard at a meeting with the DEP.
"Some of the main concerns are where’s the material coming from, who’s going to test it, how is it going to be tested?" said State Sen, Len Fasano, R-North Haven, who helped organize the meeting.
"We just want to make sure that the composition of the soil is such that there’s no contaminates were unaware of," said North Haven First Selectman Mike Freda.
DEP officials said the dirt from Newhall isn’t suited for residential use. That is, children shouldn’t be playing on it. However, agency officials said the soil is suitable and safe enough for commercial use and it is tested carefully.
"Soils that meet the commercial/industrial standard are the kind you’ll find at shopping centers and industrial parks all across the state, including right here in North Haven, Universal Drive," said Dennis Schain, spokesman for the DEP.
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