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2000 - 2008 Timeline of Important Dates and Events

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2000  
November Phase I Investigation of Hamden Middle School for planned school expansion reports historic landfill with waste. Report confirms waste and soil contamination.
December Department of Environmental Protection directs town to sample surface soil around Hamden Middle School buildings. Contamination identified in surface soils.
  Neighbors ask for testing - Wadsworth Street, Bryden Terrace, Winchester Avenue, Mill Rock Road
  Hamden Middle School closed 1 week beyond holiday break for interior cleaning and placement of temporary cap over soils near buildings
  Local resident reports old landfill at Rochford Field
  DEP begins testing at Rochford Field and Mill Rock Park
2001  
January Air tests at Hamden Middle School find school safe
  DEP begins to investigate who may be liable for contamination
  DEP test soils along streets in Bryden Terrace area.
  Teachers' Union seeks second opinion on indoor air data. Yale evaluates report.
  DEP evaluates test results Rochford Field, Mill Rock Park, Right-of-Ways on area streets
March DEP tests surface soil on soccer field at Hamden Middle School and determines it is safe for use
  DEP finds elevated levels of arsenic in surface soils at Rochford Field in follow-up testing
  DEP asks U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to do residential soil testing
April EPA begins residential soil sampling - 76 properties participated
  Cinders found near bleachers, dugout, fenceline at Rochford Field. Local and State Health Departments recommend closing Rochford Field
  DEP does more tests at Rochford Field
  DEP reports to public on sampling results of Rochford Field, Right-of-Ways, Mill Rock Park, Hamden Middle School soccer field
June Public Meeting on sampling update is held to explain interim remedial steps
  EPA finds more soil contamination in area of Morse Street, Community Center
  EPA issues final report "Site Investigation & Extent of Surface Soil Contamination, Hamden Site" - 3 volumes
July DEP orders Town of Hamden, Regional Water Authority, State Board of Education, and Olin Corporation to clean polluted soil. All parties appeal order.
  Patches of exposed soil at Rochford Field are covered over by the Town of Hamden at direction of DEP and the state Department of Public Health. Rochford Field is reopened.
August Waste (batteries, shell casings) from Winchester Repeating Arms found in test pits in rear of Hamden Middle School, near tennis courts, Newhall Community Center by Town
  EPA begins limited soil removal on 13 residential properties
October Olin commits to pay for soil, groundwater tests in neighborhood (not Hamden Middle School)
  Olin offers to establish CAP (Community Advisory Panel).
November Community information session held with Olin, Town of Hamden, DEP - Nov. 15, 2001
2002  
March Regional Water Authority (RWA) claims no groundwater contamination that drains to Lake Whitney
  Public Meeting provides update on soil removal at residences (EPA), environmental site assessment (Town), and on testing, settlement problems (DEP)
April CAP (Community Advisory Panel) is organized by Olin. Group meets through June 2003.
July EPA completes removal of contamination on residential properties
August Olin begins testing residential properties
  RWA establishes groundwater monitoring wells and conducts soil tests at Hamden Middle School
  Town begins testing on public parks
October RWA presents results of soil & groundwater investigation at HMS; Town presents results of tests at Mill Rock Park, Rochford Field at public meeting.
  Tests done by Town show soil at Rochford Field/Mill Rock Park is contaminated, groundwater is safe
  Yale students begin health survey on residents
November RWA offers Town $4,000,000 to clean up middle school site, control property
December DEP and parties prepare for hearing on appealed order
  Town, Olin and RWA submit initial investigation reports for different parts of the site
2003  
January DEP encourages Olin, Town of Hamden, Regional Water Authority and State Board of Education to negotiate a settlement to speed up clean-up. Hearing is postponed
February Consent Order signed by all parties, town council needed to approve. Reaction mixed. Residents accuse town of having no vision for neighborhood. Residents dislike: 1. disposal of waste from neighborhood on middle school property; 2. DEP is serving two ends - both as an enforcement agency and as a funding agency; 3. moving middle school from Newhall neighborhood.
  Public meeting held to explain Consent Order
March Community wants proposed Consent Order amended
April Many residents oppose town approval of Consent Order. Residents ask: 1. No dumping on Hamden Middle School; 2. government to buy homes; 3. lifetime medical benefits; 4. damages of 75% of homes' Fair Market Value; 5. guaranteed mortgages, low interest rate; 6. moving expenses; 7. tax relief
  DEP Commissioner promises to provide a facilitator to represent community interests
  Town approves consent agreement
May Law suit filed by residents against Olin and Town of Hamden
June DEP completes review of Olin's initial testing report and requests plan for more testing
  DEP continues surface soil testing on properties outside of Consent Order boundary including site of proposed Islamic Center
July Olin submits supplemental testing plan for residential areas to DEP for review
August Residents protest lack of action since settlement signed
November DEP disapproves Olin's testing plan, requires more detail
  DEP announces formation of Public Involvement Team to assist with remediation project
2004  
January Olin submits revised Work Plan for investigating residential properties
  Public meeting is held to present revised Work Plan
February DEP holds open house for public to ask questions, make comments on Olin’s proposed Work Plan to investigate contamination at residential properties. Sampling equipment to be used in testing is on display.
April DEP approves Olin’s Work Plan to investigate contamination at residential properties, with additional conditions.
  Olin seeks written access agreements to test 302 properties within Consent Order area (over 90% of properties grant permission by September).
  Regional Water Authority presents Work Plan at a public meeting to investigate contamination at Hamden Middle School.
May DEP holds open house for public to ask questions, make comments on Work Plan to investigate contamination at Hamden Middle School.
  Testing begins at residential properties and continues through September.
June Health forum is held on what living on a landfill means to residents. Program is a collaborative effort of the State Department of Public Health, the Department of Environmental Protection and the Newhall Coalition. Sixteen people attending program were tested for elevated levels of lead. None tested had blood levels exceeding public health standards.
July Town of Hamden presents Work Plan to investigate contamination at Rochford Field, Mill Rock Park and the Winchester Avenue Sewer Pump Station at a public meeting.
  DEP approves Regional Water Authority’s Work Plan to investigate contamination at Hamden Middle School, with additional conditions.
August Monitoring wells are installed; soil testing conducted on grounds of Hamden Middle School.
  DEP begins discussions with Newhall residents about forming an advisory committee to assist the Department in evaluating cleanup options.
September DEP holds open house meeting on Town’s Work Plan to investigate contamination at Rochford Field, Mill Rock Park and the Winchester Avenue Sewer Pump Station.
October DEP approves the Town of Hamden’s Work Plan to investigate contamination at Rochford Field, Mill Rock Park and the Winchester Avenue Sewer Pump Station, with additional conditions.
November The Newhall Advisory Committee, a stakeholders group comprised of residents, elected and town officials, area business and church representatives is formed. The majority of members live in the area affected by the consent order.
  Olin presents its preliminary findings of its investigation of residential properties at a public meeting.
December The Newhall Advisory Committee holds its first meeting and sets a regular monthly meeting schedule for the coming year. Group holds monthly meetings until June 2006.
  DEP’s contractor begins assessing the structural condition and air quality at 42 homes built on fill materials in the Consent Order area
2005  
January According to its Work Plan, Olin does a second round of testing at residential properties based on its findings from testing done during the summer.
February DEP’s contractor, Loureiro Engineering Associates, Inc., begins testing at residential properties outside the boundary of the original Consent Order to determine if contamination extends beyond the boundary of the Consent Order.
March Olin submits a final report of its investigation of contamination of residential properties within the Newhall project area. Olin inspected and/or tested 289 properties, installed 29 new monitoring wells and had 839 soil samples tested for contaminants. DEP review begins immediately.
  The Regional Water Authority submits its final report on investigation of the Hamden Middle School part of the site.
April The final report for investigation of Rochford Field, Mill Rock Park and the Winchester Avenue Sewer Pump Station is submitted to DEP.
May A public meeting  is held to discuss Olin’s final report and identified cleanup alternatives for residential properties.
June A public meeting is held to discuss final reports and identified cleanup alternatives for town properties (Hamden Middle School, Rochford Field, Mill Rock Park and the Winchester Avenue Sewer Pump Station).
December A public meeting is held to discuss findings of DEP's investigation of properties outside the Consent Order boundary.
2006  
January DEP staff work until August developing a Draft Remedy Selection (cleanup) Plan.
August            DEP Commissioner Gina McCarthy presents Draft Remedy Selection Plan at a public meeting attended by 200 people.
September DEP holds an open house session with property owners to discuss proposed Remedy Selection Plan.
October Regional Growth Partnership is hired by the Town of Hamden to lead a consultant team to develop a master reuse plan for the former Hamden Middle School site on Newhall St. The consultant holds the first of three community meetings.
  Work begins by DEP staff to address major concerns residents have with draft Remedy Selection Plan (1) find alternative feasible site to place fill removed from non-public (mostly residential) properties rather than place at former Hamden Middle School and (2) find alternative other than ELURS (environmental land use restriction) to note presence of contamination on properties in Newhall neighborhood. These tasks will take one year to complete.
December The second community meeting is held to develop a plan for the entire Hamden Middle School site that provides redevelopment options for the neighborhood and the Town of Hamden.
2007  
March Third community meeting is held to develop a plan to redevelop the former Hamden Middle School site.
July Reuse plan for former Hamden Middle School site is completed.
Consultant team is asked to expand its planning to include entire Newhall neighborhood.
August New Hamden Middle School opens on Dixwell Avenue, leaving the former middle school on Newhall Street vacant.
October DEP responds to comments from more than 90 individuals on its proposed Draft Remedy Selection Plan
  Final Remedy Selection Plan for Newhall neighborhood cleanup is released by DEP
  Dozens of property owners attend one-one-one information sessions to ask DEP questions and share concerns about the Remedy Selection Plan and its impact on their property
  Connecticut legislature passes legislation that authorizes $5 million to pay for structural damages to homes in Newhall neighborhood (Public Act 07-7, June, 2007 Special Session)
November Governor signs legislation authorizing $5 million to pay for structural damages to homes.
2008  
February DEP begins holding block meetings to talk with property owners about how cleanup will be done. Meetings continue until April.
  Olin evaluates DEP chemical criteria protocol for acceptance of fill materials removed from non-public properties for placement at Tire Pond Landfill.
March Newhall Neighborhood Revitalization Plan developed for the Town of Hamden by the Regional Growth Partnership consultant team is completed.
  Regional Water Authority in collaboration with Town of Hamden submits a report to DEP that proposed a change of Ground Water Quality Classification from Class GAA to GB in the Newhall neighborhood.

 

 

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