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SHELLFISH
COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES
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June
3, 2004
CALL TO ORDER 7:07PM
ATTENDANCE
Commission: John Frank, Bob Searles, Dr. Frank Serena, Jack Casagrande
Staff: Tom Closter
Police Dept: Off. Ron Spagnuola,
Advisory: Capt. Dave Hopp, Mark Errico, Harbormaster Mike Griffin
Guest: Doug Stabell, John Nickerson, Mark Errico, Pete Johnson, Walter Raleigh
MINUTES OF LAST MEETING
Move to accept w/o correction by Mr Casagrande, 2nd by Doctor Derena
TREASURER
Mr. Searles reports
| OPENING |
BALANCE |
04-30-04 |
$15,558.49 |
|
| NAME |
DATE |
AMOUNT |
REASON |
|
| DEPOSITS |
||||
| Interest |
March |
$18.62 |
||
| Norm Bloom & Sons |
05-03-04 |
$43.00 |
product |
|
| A.C.Stabell & Sons |
$310.00 |
product |
||
| Pramer Oyster Co. |
$43.00 |
product |
||
| Fisherman’s World |
$1377.00 |
permits |
||
| EXPENSES |
||||
| Police OT |
w/e 05-03 |
($137.19) |
||
| Police OT |
w/e 05-17 |
($76.22) |
||
| Police OT |
w/e 05-21 |
($177.86) |
||
| SBC (phone Co) |
($70.96) |
Phone |
||
| i |
||||
| PRESENT |
BALANCE |
05-31-04 |
$16,950.38 |
|
| YEAR AGO |
Balance |
05-31-03 |
$50,063.18 |
|
| TWO YEARS AGO |
Balance |
05-31-02 |
$41,983.98 |
SECRETARY
Mr. Frank reports Public notice from Army Corps on application of CL&P to replace cables to Northport. Comments to Army Corp were read into the record. Discussion followed. Consensus seems to be project has potential to do enormous damage, must be closely monitored. Commission should fight for conditions on permit and petition for public hearing.
From: John Frank
To: dianne Ray ; Michael GRSYWINSKI ; Alex Knopp
Sent: Thursday, June 03, 2004 12:53 PM
Subject: PUBLIC NOTICE NAE-2004-1017 CL&P / LIPA Cable replacement project Norwalk to Northport
There are several issues that need to be adressed in this project.
Notice makes it sound like three new cables are going to be an even swap for seven older ones and result in the same power transmission capacity of 300MW. (two, three-phase, 150MW circuits, with one spare wire) Has the applicant been misleading ? The fact is three cables, with three conductors in each, will have a capacity of 450MW.(three, three-phase, 150 mw circuits) Applicants have claimed they only intend to use two cables at any one time and the third cable is a reserve or spare. They will use whatever they are allowed to install.
Species impacted by this project and not mentioned in the application are Oysters and Clams, for which Norwalk Harbor is famous. Greatest risk to nearby shellfish beds involves the drifting very light silt that a jet plow broadcasts into the water column. When it settles on shellfish beds it kills off large quantities of shellfish that ingest it along with the water they circulate. Lease holders of nearby commercial beds will surely seek compensation for damages on the order of compensation paid by Cross Sound Cable in New Haven harbor. Applicant must be required to find a means of containing this silt to keep it off the nearby shellfish beds.
Applicant must also be required to limit construction activity to the winter months when colder waters result in the shellfish being relatively dormant just as any other dredging project is limited.
New cables do not require the seperation application speaks of. All three cables can easily be buried in a much narrower corridor on the order of 36 ft, not 180 ft, impacting a much smaller area, inside the harbor.
Application shows backfill, after cable is laid in trenches, as being accomplished by tidal current. Experience shows us that some silting will occur, but trenches made over thirty years ago for original cables have still not filled. Applicant must be required to restore bottom contours, with similar material to what was removed so that, over time, original populations of shellfish can be re-established.
Trenching methods mentioned in application (jet plow and clam shell bucket) are worst possible way to bury a slender little cable. They excavate a ditch as much as twice as wide at the top as it is deep, to bury a cable that is only inches thick. In the process, they lose control of a lot of the excavated material. Surely, there is a better way. Sprinkler systems are routinely buried in lawns without removing any material. Plows are dragged through the earth, open a slot, bury a water pipe, and immediately close over it, leaving little or no trace. I know that a similar process, on a larger scale, has been developed for underwater use. In fact, I have broached this subject with high ranking Northeast Utility (CL&P's Parent Co.) people, who agree it is possible, but not their first choice, to use much less damaging cable burial methods.
NORWALK SHELLFISH COMMISSION, John Frank, Chairman
COMMITTEES
HEALTH DEPT
Mr. Closter reports rainfall in May of 2.71 Inches, vs. 5.04 in 2003 and 5 yr. average of 4.97inches. 282 calls received. There were two closures, one started on 26th of April through May 3rd , for rain, second on May 27th through June 9th , for rain. Two wastewater spills reported. One at DMV on Main Ave caused by grease blockage in sewer line. Amount estimated as 50 gallons and contained at site and vacuumed, Report shows spill may have lasted for two days before being reported, so number of gallons is suspect. Second spill was small , 30 Gallons, at the plant and it was contained and vacuumed.
WASTEWATER TREATMENT
Mr. Searles has no report
WATER QUALITY
Mr Frank reports for Mr. D’Andrea, chairman of water quality, that Water Quality met on May 16th after our meeting last month. Calibration of Mysound probe was discussed and the hiring of interns Missy Alam and Patty Garrity. They started on May 28th.. Focus of intern’s effort this year will be tailored, to some extent, based on our concerns in harbor. Intern’s reports from last season were distributed. Mr Griffin spoke on the neeed for our support of the intern’s program.
PERMITS
Mr. Casagrande has no report. Outlets call him when they have completed books of permits. He did arrange to issue free permit to Chris Varco who has been helpful in getting the tide charts compiled.
POLICE
Off Spagnuola reports for Sgt LaPak reports 8hrs OT this month, with 30hrs patrol. Boat now has siren/PA system and he is working on radar and blue light(s). After discussion of the merits of retrofitting a much older unit (10yrs), it was decided to authorize the treasurer to spend up to $1500 for suitable new radar unit for shellfish boat. Motion by Mr Casagrande, 2nd by Doctor Serena.
ADVISORY
Capt. Hopp reports water temp 63o at this time. Results of clamming on newly opened area in restricted relay are excellent with good quantity of clams of many sizes, indicating healthy population. He stressed benefits of grounds being cultivated. Clam boats are stockpiling clams from restricted relay area on small section of open grounds for depuration so that transplant to recreational area will not require closure. 60 bushels wer transplanted to Calf Pasture with 30 to Betts Bay last week.
Mr Errico reports big Seafood Council.meeting in Stonington at the Portugese Club on June 15th. Commissioners are invited. Seafood council may sponsor travel and lodging expense for several of the aquaculture dept. staff to FDA conference where their participation is required but there is no budget for travel and lodging for out-of-area conferences .
HARBOR MANAGEMENT
Mr. Griffen reports Harbor Management is still working to get dredging done despite problems with New York Politicians holding up the approval on a dumpsite off New Haven until they get operating approval for the Cross Sound cable, which is still not in compliance with the terms of its Army Corps permit. Information supplied by commission on value of shellfish landed in Norwalk has been helpful in approval process. Chair mentions Army Corps called with questions on numbers supplied and apparently thought only very small boats operated in Norwalk harbor. Chair thanks Mr Errico for help in compiling information for the Corps.
Move to accept committee reports by Mr. Casagrande, 2nd By Dr Serena
OLD BUSINESS
Mr Frank reports Mysound Probe was serviced and calibrated and readings are consistently much better but we still see unexplained spikes and will have to identify the source of the low dissolved oxygen water with testing of the large pipes draining into the harbor.Motion to support Intern program with $2500 made by Doctor Serena, 2nd by Mr Casagrande. Money to be transferred to health dept. who handles their payroll. Motion to support maintenance, calibration of Mysound instrument at Hope dock with $250 by Mr Searles, 2nd by Doctor Serena. Mr Norman Blooms offer to clean out shell in Betts Bay and move it to place in harbor where it might help get an Oyster set was gratefully accepted by the commission, with the provision it should be done in the fall.
NEW BUSINESS
Mr. Frank will be away in July, Mr Casagrande will chair July meeting. Mr Johnson was introduced as new member of commission to be sworn in Tuesday night. Mr Searles will have copies of clam transplant permits to issue in July in chair’s absence. July meeting will be changed to 8th, motion by Mr Searles, 2nd by Mr Casagrande.
NEXT MEETING
Thursday, July 8th 2004
MOTION TO ADJOURN
8:53PM by Mr. Searles
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