Want to earn $6500?
I have to pay that much to do what sounds to me like a very simple job. You can earn $6500 for checking a map, writing four letters, and certifying that there are no wells used for drinking water in a a 500 foot radius of my property in downtown Torrington. I am not allowed to do it. I have to hire a Licensed Environmental Professional to do it. Nice work if you can get it.
My LEP firm told me what they will do for this money is to complete a survey. But here are their words for what they will do:
“The survey typically consists of 1) identifying all properties within 500 feet of your property boundary 2) searching well drilling records at the health department, CT DEEP, and Dept. of Consumer Protection to identify wells, 3) contacting the water company to see which properties they serve, and 4) a drive-by survey. We typically don’t contact the property owners unless there is ambiguity as to whether there is a well on their property.”
Why do I need to find out if there is another well? It is not clear how my position changes if there is another, or if not. I don’t even know why I have to find out. So I wanted to appeal. I want to do the survey myself, or find some other LEP firm to do it cheaper. But because of the program I am in this is not going to be easy.
What you are about to read is deliberately designed by our government to be complicated and difficult to understand. I ought to shock but not surprise you. Our government is stupid. In this case it is the law that I must do whatever this LEP firm suggests and pay them whatever they ask, or get another firm.
If anyone in Connecticut buys or sells any building that was ever used as a mechanic shop, gas station or dry cleaner (me) that building is designated automatically by law as and “establishment” for the DEEP to regulate.
On August 6, 2014, according to media reports Senator Chris Murphy came to Torrington to inspect a property that the City of Torrington bought for on dollar and got $650,000 from the Federal Government to clean up. It wasn’t enough money, but no one is asking the right questions. Why isn’t it enough money? There is no oversight of the Licensed Environmental Professionals or LET firms that do the “cleanup”. Often there is nothing to clean or “remediate” but rather the $650,000 is used for testing and forms preparation. They are licensed to collect pretty much whatever they can get to certify the property is clean prescribing whatever work they want and no one can or will provide any oversight once they get the job.
I will finish this later.
