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	State, CNG Work Out Cleanup Plans for Stadium Site (Hartford-WTNH) _ Negotiations to move that Hartford Steam Plant to make way for the New England Patriots may have hit a snag, this as the governor prepares to sign the Patriots bill into law Tuesday. Chief capitol correspondent Mark Davis reports. The question still is who is going to pay to clean up the site. But even though the law says the gas company should pay, the state will pay. It has long been known that parts of the 04 acre site for Adriaen's Landing is located over what's called a 'brownfield'. In this case, coal-tar from previous decades is underneath the the steam plant which is owned by the Connecticut Natural Gas Company. Some of that coal tar must be removed, but as seen in this drawing of the proposed stadium some of that brownfield area would be capped underneath the facility. Part of the governor's deal to build the Patriots stadium on that location include paying for at least part of the clean up, even though CNG agreed ten years ago that they would pay if it ever needed to be cleaned up. Gov. John Rowland/R-Connecticut: "Now the question becomes; if we are requiring or encouraging them to move, at this point, of course, so that the stadium can be built, should we then accommodate some of the cost of the clean up." Cmsr. Arthur Rocque, Dept. of Environmental Protection: "The bottom line is, under state law, CNG is responsible for remediating the site, if they transfer the property to another entity." But the reason CNG would move is so that the state can host NFL football games, not because they want to to move. Lynn Blackwell, CNG: "It is the development that triggers the need for cleanup, it's our understanding from the DEP that as long as we stay on this property, no cleanup will be triggered." So CNG is negotiating for the best deal they can get, and they hold a very important card. Mark: "Why are we accommodating them?" Gov Rowland: "We're working with them because we're asking them to leave now, versus sometime in the future." Rocque: "It's a little bit like you having some junk cars in your back yard and I want to buy your house and you don't want to sell. You might sell it but I might have to take care of the junk cars." One key legislator said today that the state ought to offer to pay for at least half of the clean up. Bob Fiondella, the head of the Phoenix, has reportedly been going around town to various big companies looking for help with that part of the project. The governor plans to sign the Patriots Bill into law with much fanfare tomorrow at the Old State House, and the construction agreement is expected to be signed a short time later. Today's News Page. WTNH Home Page. ©1999 WTNH/WTNH-DT A LIN station.

State, CNG Work Out Cleanup Plans for Stadium Site
(Hartford-WTNH) _ Negotiations to move that Hartford Steam Plant to make way for the New England Patriots may have hit a snag, this as the governor prepares to sign the Patriots bill into law Tuesday.
Chief capitol correspondent Mark Davis reports.

The question still is who is going to pay to clean up the site. But even though the law says the gas company should pay, the state will pay.

It has long been known that parts of the 04 acre site for Adriaen's Landing is located over what's called a 'brownfield'. In this case, coal-tar from previous decades is underneath the the steam plant which is owned by the Connecticut Natural Gas Company. Some of that coal tar must be removed, but as seen in this drawing of the proposed stadium some of that brownfield area would be capped underneath the facility.

Part of the governor's deal to build the Patriots stadium on that location include paying for at least part of the clean up, even though CNG agreed ten years ago that they would pay if it ever needed to be cleaned up.

Gov. John Rowland/R-Connecticut: "Now the question becomes; if we are requiring or encouraging them to move, at this point, of course, so that the stadium can be built, should we then accommodate some of the cost of the clean up."

Cmsr. Arthur Rocque, Dept. of Environmental Protection: "The bottom line is, under state law, CNG is responsible for remediating the site, if they transfer the property to another entity."

But the reason CNG would move is so that the state can host NFL football games, not because they want to to move.

Lynn Blackwell, CNG: "It is the development that triggers the need for cleanup, it's our understanding from the DEP that as long as we stay on this property, no cleanup will be triggered."

So CNG is negotiating for the best deal they can get, and they hold a very important card.

Mark: "Why are we accommodating them?"
Gov Rowland: "We're working with them because we're asking them to leave now, versus sometime in the future."

Rocque: "It's a little bit like you having some junk cars in your back yard and I want to buy your house and you don't want to sell. You might sell it but I might have to take care of the junk cars."

One key legislator said today that the state ought to offer to pay for at least half of the clean up. Bob Fiondella, the head of the Phoenix, has reportedly been going around town to various big companies looking for help with that part of the project.

The governor plans to sign the Patriots Bill into law with much fanfare tomorrow at the Old State House, and the construction agreement is expected to be signed a short time later.

Today's News Page.

WTNH Home Page.