Five people are dead in an explosion at a 620MW gas-fired power plant (1 megawatt is enough to power 750 to 1,000 homes) owned by Kleen Energy that is under construction in Middletown, Connecticut, according to a news release from Middletown Mayor Sebastian Giuliano’s office. In an explosion just before 11:30 a.m. today, part of the Kleen Energy Systems power plant blew apart as workers purged natural gas lines at the plant on River Road.
The Kleen Energy power plant is on the site of an old feldspar mine in the Maromas area, The Hartford Courant reported last year. Once it is built, the plant is expected to be, “relatively speaking, clean and efficient.”
According to an Associated Press report: Deputy Fire Marshal Al Santostefano said workers for the construction company, O&G Industries, were purging the gas lines, a procedure he called a “blow-down,” when the explosion occurred.
See also Kleen Energy Power Plant In Middletown, Conn. Was To Be Biggest In Region – CTnow: MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – The Kleen Energy Systems power plant that was rocked by a deadly explosion Sunday sits on a moonscape of rock and cliff at a former feldspar mine overlooking the Connecticut River. Proposed in 2001, and funded by hundreds of millions of dollars from one of the largest private energy investment firms in the country, the plant was to be among the biggest new electricity projects in New England, costing nearly $1 billion.
The East Coast Greenway, the developing 3,000-mile bike route connecting cities from Maine to Florida, has long seen the Meadowlands crossing [in northern New Jersey] as the most difficult nut to crack along the entire route. But for the first time, we see a possible opening.
On Wednesday, February 10, from 6 to 8:30 pm, there will be a critical public hearing at Secaucus Public Library (1379 Paterson Plank Rd; map here). We urge your attendance. If there is a strong show of support for a bike-ped facility, we can get the NJ Department of Environmental Protection and Hudson County on our side. Public support is imperative; without it, success is unlikely.
SIMSBURY — The Farmington River Watershed Association (www.frwa.org), the Old Well Tavern and the Farmington River Brewery are joining forces to host a one-of-a-kind fundraiser: an Indoor Country Fair at the Old Well Tavern in Simsbury to benefit FRWA on Sunday, Feb. 21. What better way is there to beat the winter blues than some hot country music, great food and fantastic beverages?
Authorities launched a criminal investigation Monday into the cause of an explosion that killed five people at a power plant under construction, saying they could not rule out criminal negligence.
A Portland, Conn. asphalt company has agreed to pay $68,400 in penalties for failing to comply with federal regulations designed to prevent oil spills from reaching waterways.
According to EPA, Triram Connecticut, LLC. illegally discharged approximately 1,000 gallons of oil from its facility to the Connecticut River in January 2009. The oil spill occurred when piping connecting a 13,000 gallon oil tank to a boiler failed and released 8,000 gallons of oil into the facility’s secondary containment area.
BRISTOL – Regional planners listened intently late Thursday to pitches for both the proposed busway and the potential for commuter rail. Rail backers spoke first and then the proponents of the 9.4-mile busway between New Britain and Hartford got their turn.
One less phone that needs to be created is one less that can end up in a landfill. That’s one of the motivations behind an electronics reuse and recycling business created by two Yale University students, Bob Casey of Chicago and Rich Littlehale of Norwell, Mass. They first came up with the idea to reuse and recycle consumer electronics in the spring of 2008, and the idea has since grown into a business serving both individual consumers and corporate clients.
STAMFORD — The Stamford Museum & Nature Center, an educational and recreational destination in North Stamford, has prepared a $37 million master plan that includes an expansion of its observatory and farm, as well as a new museum and visitor center.
It was with great interest that I read the Place article by Toni Gold [Jan. 31, "Don't Let Rail Run Roughshod Over Cities And Towns"] regarding the problems in reinstating the railroads, which for almost 100 years have been ignored as an efficient means of passenger service in Connecticut.
HARTFORD’S BUDGET WOES • Don’t sell Batterson Park to make up $40 million shortfall
Don’t do it. Using one-shot revenues to fix serious budget problems simply puts off the underlying problem for another year — as state budget makers are finding out. When times get tough, it’s tempting but imprudent to part with the family jewels.
MIDDLETOWN — Details are slim at this point, but O&G Industries is working to address the situation following a massive gas line explosion that rocked the Kleen Energy power plant in Middletown, killing five people and injuring more than a dozen.
Inland Wetlands Commission (IWC) members are expected to discuss and possibly act next week on a controversial wetlands application from the Housatonic Railroad Company concerning earthen filling that has occurred on the northern section of the railroad’s 13.3-acre property at 30 Hawleyville Road (Route 25).
An IWC meeting on the subject is scheduled for 7:30 pm Wednesday, February 10, at the Municipal Center at 3 Primrose Street at Fairfield Hills.
SOUTHINGTON – A line of pine trees has been cut down in Panthorn Park to make way for a new sewer line that will serve about 80 homes on Lagana Avenue and Roseanna Road. The area has failing septic tanks that could pose a health risk to the residents, according to the Health Department.
MILFORD —Several residents have raised concerns about a lack of transparency in the city’s new Department of Permitting and Land Use agency, but Mayor James L. Richetelli Jr. responded by saying everything is above board.
NEW HAVEN — Like many brides, Kate Harrison had a tough time finding exactly what she wanted when it came to certain aspects of her wedding. Unlike most wives-to-be, however, Harrison turned her frustration — over the scarcity of “green,” eco-friendly weddings options — into a thriving business.
Middletown, Conn. — A fire official said Monday that it remains unclear whether everyone is accounted for after a massive explosion that killed at least five people at an under-construction power plant.
Middletown Deputy Fire Marshal Al Santostefano had said Sunday night that officials believed no one was missing amid the rubble. But on Monday morning he said rescue crews still haven’t been able to search a section of the plant that remains unstable, and it was impossible to know if there were victims in that area.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tara Kolla fancied herself a green thumb-turned-green businesswoman when she planted an organic flower plot in her yard and sold poppies, sweet peas and zinnias at the local farmers market. For her neighbors, it was an eyesore.
It’s not as if Hudson Valley Fresh, the dairy co-op founded in 2005, is a model for all dairy farmers. But it is working quite well for the eight farmers who joined the co-op to bypass the usual milk processing and pricing system and begin marketing and distributing their milk on their own. This is not a lot of farmers, but it’s a start in an area where farms have been disappearing for decades. In the 1970s, there were 275 dairies in Dutchess County. Now there are 26.
MADISON — For months now, people strolling down Middle Beach Road — a popular beach-front walk for many folks — have noticed an interesting sign in the yard where an elegant beach cottage once faced the Sound.
The sign reports that the house, which is owned by Woodie and Ellen Weiss, has been torn down and the one being rebuilt on the site is an entrant in the Connecticut Zero Energy Challenge.
Mystic – What if tourists arriving here were able to park their cars at a transportation center where they could board a trolley shuttle or water taxi to get to Olde Mistick Village, Mystic Aquarium, Mystic Seaport and the downtown?
There would be bike paths and sidewalks for those who wish to bike or walk and signs that would point them in the right direction. Traffic congestion along Route 27 and in the downtown would be alleviated and residents would not be frustrated trying to find a downtown parking spot.
PLAINVILLE — From Santa Barbara, Calif. to Burlington, Vt., dozens of cities and towns across the nation have been designated as Bicycle-Friendly Communities. Now a group of local biking enthusiasts are hoping that Plainville can be added to that list.
The Plainville Bicycle Friendly Committee met Thursday to discuss an upcoming event that could bring the town one step closer. On June 13, residents will be able to try out the bicycle routes that could become part of the planned bike path that will stretch from New Haven to Northampton, Mass.
The Eastern Connecticut Conservation District (ECCD) has hired Sarah Lamagna as a natural resources specialist and Niantic River Watershed coordinator. Portions of East Lyme, Montville, Salem, and Waterford are in the 20,000-acre watershed.
There’s been a lot of media hype and political hoopla of late about Connecticut receiving $40 million from the Feds for “high speed rail.” While any money spent on rail is great, let’s take a reality check.
That federal money (combined with $26 million from the state) is merely a small down-payment on an $880 million, five-year plan to bring just commuter rail service to the New Haven – Springfield corridor. That first money will be spent adding a second track on a 10 mile stretch of existing rail between New Britain and Newington. That’s a good start, but the rest of the project is far from a sure thing. And it sure ain’t “high speed rail.”
Last night, Central Connecticut Regional Planning Agency (CCRPA) Board members faced a critical choice for the future economic and environmental sustainability of the Central Connecticut region.
What was on the board’s agenda was the future of the New Britain-Hartford Busway.
Prior to the vote board members heard a presentation of a reasoned alternative put forward by Peter Lynch and Mike Nicastro to utilize the “busway corridor” for what it was originally designed to do — provide direct commuter rail and rail freight service between Hartford and Waterbury.
In an explosion just before 11:30 a.m. today, part of the Kleen Energy Systems power plant blew apart as workers purged natural gas lines at the plant on River Road.
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