Substitute Senate Bill No. 300
Public Act No. 16-61
AN ACT CONCERNING AN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY ON A CHANGE IN USE OF NEW BRITAIN WATER COMPANY LAND.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (Effective from passage) (a) Not later than one hundred eighty days after the effective date of this section, the city of New Britain shall commission an environmental study, to be conducted by an independent third party acceptable to the Water Planning Council, established pursuant to section 25-33o of the general statutes, in consultation with the Council on Environmental Quality, established pursuant to section 22a-11 of the general statutes. Such study shall examine the potential impact of the city of New Britain changing the use of said city's water company-owned class I and class II land to allow for the lease of approximately 131. 4 acres owned by said city and located in the town of Plainville, more specifically described as 0 Biddle Pass, for the purpose of allowing the extraction of stone and other minerals on such property.
(b) Such study shall include, but need not be limited to, an analysis of the (1) likely environmental impacts of such change of use on local hydrology, forest ecology, natural land resources and formations, and wetlands systems; (2) long-term water supply needs for the city of New Britain as well as interconnected, and reasonably feasible interconnected, water companies in the general geographic region surrounding the areas supplied by the city of New Britain's water reservoir system; (3) likely safe yield increase to the city of New Britain's water reservoir system that could be supplied by such change of use; (4) impact on raw reservoir water quality that is likely to occur from such change of use; (5) procedures and steps that are available to minimize environmental impacts from such change of use; and (6) permits required for such change of use. At the conclusion of such study, the independent third party that conducted the environmental study shall submit a written report on the results of such study to the Water Planning Council, the Council on Environmental Quality and the city of New Britain's conservation commission.
(c) Not later than ninety days after receipt of the report on the environmental study, the Water Planning Council and the Council on Environmental Quality shall review such report to determine the potential impact on the environment and the purity and adequacy of the existing and future public water supply and to provide guidance to the New Britain Water Department concerning the suitability of the best management practices identified in such report for the protection of the environment, public water supply and public health and make written comments concerning such review. Said councils shall submit their written comments to the city of New Britain.
(d) Not later than fifteen days after receipt of said councils' comments on the report of the environmental study, the city of New Britain shall post such report and said councils' comments on said city's Internet web site. The city of New Britain shall hold a public hearing within the city of New Britain not later than thirty days after receipt of said councils' comments on such report and shall publish notice concerning such report and public hearing in a newspaper of general circulation in the city of New Britain. Such notice shall include: (1) Directions on how members of the public may obtain a copy of such report and comments; (2) a statement informing members of the public of the opportunity to submit comments to the Water Planning Council for a period of thirty days regarding such report; and (3) the date, time and location where said city shall hold the public hearing on such report.
(e) Not later than sixty days after the public hearing required pursuant to subsection (d) of this section, the Water Planning Council, in consultation with the Council on Environmental Quality, shall submit: (1) The report on the results of the environmental study; (2) said councils' comments on review of such report; (3) a summary of the public comments received concerning such report and comments; and (4) said councils' recommendations to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to environment and public health, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes.
Sec. 2. Section 25-37i of the general statutes is repealed. (Effective from passage)
Sec. 3. Section 64 of public act 07-5 of the June special session is repealed. (Effective from passage)