Letter: Why I Vote 'No' on Oxford Power Plant Tax Deal

Letter to the editor,

This sign is about ½ mile from my old house in my hometown, there are more like them and it is still there today. The Plant that caused this contamination had all the proper permits and permissions to conduct its business and was allowed to self-regulate their compliance, much like CPV will be expected to do at Towanic.

The Plant closed in 1989 due to litigation from “environmental liabilities”. In 1993, the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry issues the first public health advisory in New England, alerting residents to “an imminent public health hazard”.

In 1994, the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection installed a temporary cap to “prevent human contact” with waste that reached the soccer fields 3.2 miles away. In 1995, the Plant site joins the EPA’s National Priorities List and becomes a federal Superfund site.

In 1998, a study conducted by the state Department of Public Health finds an elevated rate of bladder cancer among town residents, years prior it was the highest rate of bladder cancer in the State.

In 2011, federal regulators approve a proposal to spend $4.6 million to cap 42,000 cubic yards of toxic waste from 576 and 600 East Broadway. I lived on East Broadway. In 2004, the EPA installs sub-slab ventilation systems free of charge at 98 residences over the contaminated groundwater to prevent cancer causing chemical vapors seeping out of the ground from entering inside homes.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency has spent more than $180 million in federal Superfund money and the project is not complete and many areas in town are still contaminated. Ronald Jennings, an E.P.A. project manager, said the site will be competing with 125 Superfund sites throughout New England and 1,200 around the country for more funding.

‘’We have never said we can never guarantee that every penny will there,’’ Jennings said. There is where the $6 million from CPV will not even amount to a drop in the bucket. Even today, 27 years after the plant closed some properties cannot be sold or mortgaged or even refinanced to a lower rate, they remain in limbo.

I’ve read comments made about will people put their homes up for sale in Oxford when and if CPV goes online. It’s true we did not sell our old home. We couldn’t sell it for what we owed or even close to it and we tried. We did however leave. I brought my family to Oxford where I would like to stay and enjoy a healthy life for me and my family.

When something goes wrong at a plant of this magnitude it doesn’t go a little wrong. It goes very wrong and too many industries lack to courage in taking the costly road of protecting the people around them versus their bottom line. I do not believe this is a “Done Deal” as some proponents will be quick to inform you. I believe the fate of this plant in Oxford still rests with the people. If it didn’t, they wouldn’t need our vote.

They wouldn’t be so quick to inundate us with mountains of reasons to secure our “yes” vote. I have seen the signs that say “yes” to lower your taxes and we all would rather pay less taxes and spend more of that money on our families or ourselves.

However, I can’t help but feel a “yes” vote isn’t really about taxes. There is a bigger picture of securing the future of Oxford and retaining the quality of life, keeping Oxford clean and safe for as many years as possible. Having lost my father to bladder cancer I can attest witness that when the end is near no amount of money makes it better.. The only wish is for better health.

For those that will read this and then respond by saying that I am voting a safety and health concern “no” to a financial tax plan, I say this. These three agreements do not provide Oxford with enough financial gain to make this project a benefit.

Because this plan offers no tax increase for 22 years and backloads what money it should be paying up front it is strictly beneficial for the corporation. $6 million set aside for a cleanup that by other estimates would currently cost between $7 million and $40 million makes no provision for what that will cost in future dollars and it will cost! Even CPV themselves verbalize this plant will not last forever. It has an end of life date and at that point what sort of financial burden will we pass on to the future of Oxford?

Nobody will move to Oxford to be closer to the plant, people will move to Oxford to come to a greener and cleaner area, a better way of life and a rural setting. That can’t be recreated once it is lost. It is no secret that home values near power plants in the country have lost values. Oxford itself has begun to see trends that negatively impact home sales.

Vacancies are up, home sales are down an average of %16 and the number of homes under contract has decreased 27%. If Oxford greens and other housing projects don’t go forward based on the presence of the Plant any monies thought to be a windfall from CPV will be greatly diminished and tax payers will be expected to pick up the difference. .

This is not a good financial economic plan for Oxford. The best economic plans protect and cultivate homes sales. A town that can boast low vacancies and stable home values become the homes to people that live and spend their money at local businesses and that leads itself to a robust economy. Courting a power plant works against that goal.

Lastly, CPV to the best of my knowledge and research as of today, has been and remains behind on their financial agreement with the town. Before the residents of Oxford give CPV any other concessions/ discounts or financial gain the least the company could do is become current on any other past due debts. That would be the neighborly thing to do.

For those reasons: I vote “no”.

Brian Logan

Oxford, CT