Tweed New Haven Airport Maintenance Building Boiler Was Faulty, In Violation, But Had Been Inspected By State

EAST HAVEN, CT—Saying the department will not engage in a "back and forth" with Avports, operator of Tweed New Haven Airport, East Haven Fire Chief Matt Marcarelli "stood by" the information he provided to Patch last Thursday regarding a faulty boiler in an airport maintenance building and what workers said were CO readings of 200 parts per million, four times the safe limit.

Fire officials learned of the issue from an anonymous call, went to the site, and shut it down until repairs and an inspection were made, which they were that and the following day.

Marcarelli said flatly, "The boiler was being operated in an unsafe condition."

Read that story here.

Early last week, the fire department received an anonymous complaint reporting hazardous circumstances within the building, the fire chief said, adding there was no doubt about the "visible damage and deterioration to the venting and exhaust components."

"These were not minor deficiencies; they presented a real and immediate threat to life safety and required an immediate shutdown," he said.

Marcarelli told Patch that in addition to an 8" hole in the flue, corrosion around it, and soot on the floor, the boiler had last been inspected six years ago, given it had what is now known to be an expired boiler inspection certificate, reflecting a last inspection in 2020.

"That statute requires that a current, valid operating certificate be properly posted as a condition of lawful operation," he said, adding that a "boiler may not be operated unless it is posted under glass in the boiler room and may be revoked if the unit is not maintained in safe condition."

"Posting an outdated certificate is not a clerical oversight; it is a statutory compliance failure directly tied to inspection accountability and operational safety," Marcarelli said.

The fire department and the state inspector "independently concluded that the boiler was unsafe and could not remain in service." The boiler was shut down, state authorities were notified, and repairs and re-inspection were required before any return to operation.

"The condition of the equipment speaks for itself. Proper inspection and maintenance did not occur at the level required for safe operation. When mandatory maintenance and statutory compliance are absent, enforcement action is not discretionary; it is required," the fire chief said. "The actions taken were firm, appropriate, and fully justified by the hazards present."

Read Marcarelli's full statement here:

EHFD Chief Matt Marcarelli Statement by Ellyn Santiago

Following the Patch story last week, Avports spokesperson Andrew King contacted a reporter, concerned that the story contained inaccuracies. All information in the story came from local and state officials.

Days later, King provided the airport's version of events, which now largely mirrors what Marcarelli and fire department officials and the fire marshal's reports note, save a few items.

King said the up-to-date inspection sticker was not on the boiler, confirming what East Haven fire officials said. According to the inspection sticker, dated 2020, the boiler had not been inspected in six years. In the original story, a state official emailed Patch to say that the boiler was inspected. He did not address why the last proof of that on the unit was in 2020. It's not clear why bi-annual inspections that had been performed were not noted. Nonetheless, it's one of the violations issued to the airport by the fire marshal.

And as to the faulty boiler, King said that two days before the major winter storm hit, employees told management there was a "developing issue with the flue." King said the 8" hole the fire chief, captain, and fire marshal saw got progressively worse from Jan. 23 to Jan. 27. He said that the HVAC service provider installed CO detectors in the boiler room and employee break room "as a precaution" as the boiler awaited repairs. While fire officials were told by workers on the scene, and as reported to the fire chief in the anonymous call, that the CO detectors registered 200 ppm, King said that it "never registered elevated levels."

Another issue for King was the headline that read that workers slept in the maintenance building during the winter storm to handle snow removal. King said a cot seen by Marcarelli was from a previous weather event.

"At no point did airport employees sleep overnight in the maintenance building during or after last week's snowstorm," he said, adding that it had been used during a prior weather event and was used "during brief rest periods between shifts."

And as to the anonymous call, initially King told a reporter that the issue was an employee matter, but has since clarified for Patch that no blame lay with employees.

"When an employee spots an issue, we want them to speak up through whatever channel they choose. When someone spots a potential immediate health risk, it's always the right call to escalate. Caring about your coworkers means speaking up, and being accountable means we respond, fix it, and strengthen our procedures—which is exactly what we're doing. That's how we keep this community safe, and we're grateful when our people speak up."

Here is King's statement:

Avports Spokesperson Andrew King's Statement by Ellyn Santiago

The following are EHFD documents related to the incident that were obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.

Here is the EHFD's Fire Marshal's Notice of Violation:

In this document, the fire marshal notes that "the initial complaint received by the Chief's office stated that there has been an issue with CO since Friday, that plug-in CO detectors were placed around the building for monitoring, readings from these detectors frequently reached or exceeded 200 ppm, and that employees had been instructed that if the detector alarmed, to open the overhead doors to ventilate the building. Upon inspection, there was a hole approximately 8 inches in diameter on the bottom of the flue pipe connected to the oil-fired, hot water boiler. Soot was present on top of the boiler unit below the flue and on the floor surrounding the boiler. The boiler was immediately shut off."

It goes on to name a supervisor and worker that were on the scene.

The document also notes that the "State Boiler Inspector noted three (3) issues with the boiler that he will be issuing violations for. Those issues include replacing the bottom section of the flue from the boiler, a leaking relief valve, and a crack in the rear section of the boiler. The contractor who services the boiler arrived on the scene and started repair work on the bottom section of the flue."

This information was not sent to Patch by the state, rather just that the boiler had been inspected in 2024.

EHFD Fire Marshal Inspection Report/Violations Report by Ellyn Santiago

Here is the EHFD Battalion Chief's report:

EHFD Battalion Chief Full Incident Report_2600001849 by Ellyn Santiago