CONCORD, Mass. – The Metropolitan District is seeking a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District to conduct work in waters of the U.S. in conjunction with constructing and maintaining a South Hartford sewer conveyance and storage tunnel in Hartford, Conn.
The work includes the discharge of fill material into U.S. waters for the construction of the South Hartford Conveyance and Storage Tunnel (SHCST) in order to reduce overflows into the Connecticut River and its adjacent tributaries. The SHCST will eliminate discharges from the West Hartford and Newington Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs) and reduce discharges from the Franklin Avenue Area Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO).
The work will be conducted in wetlands adjacent to Wethersfield Cove and the Connecticut River at 255 Brainard Road in South Hartford. The 18-foot diameter tunnel will be located approximately 200 feet below grade in subsurface bedrock and will run approximately 4 miles through Hartford, before terminating at the Hartford Water Pollution Control Facility (HWPCF).
This project will directly impact a total of 20,740 square feet of palustrine forested and palustrine emergent wetlands. Work includes constructing permanent bio swales, storm water retention areas, access roads, electrical infrastructure, an equipment removal and personnel/utility shaft, and a permanent head works pump house that will pump the wastewater from the storage tunnel and convey it directly to the HWPCF.
The project also will require 45,794 square feet (1.05 acres) of temporary impacts. These impacts include the creation of staging areas to support the construction of the deep rock tunnel, electrical duct bank work, temporary water handling measures, work pads and temporary access roads.
The application for the federal permit was filed with the Corps of Engineers in compliance with Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, which regulates the discharge or fill of material in U.S. waters, including wetlands. The public notice, with more specifics on the proposed work, can be viewed on the Corps website at: http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/PublicNotices.aspx.
Public comments on this proposed work (file #NAE-2014-261) should be forwarded no later than Dec. 26, 2014 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, Regulatory Division (ATTN: Lindsay Flieger), 696 Virginia Road, Concord, MA 01742-2751. Additional information is available from Permit Project Manager Lindsay Flieger at 978-318-8656 or toll free 800-343-4789 or 800-362-4367 (if calling from within Massachusetts) or by email to: lindsay.flieger@usace.army.mil.