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Managing Editor CHICOPEE With the rushing waters of the Connecticut River as a backdrop, Congressman Richard Neal and Chicopee Mayor Michael Bissonnette announced that Chicopee and Holyoke have again received federal grants to help those communities improve the quality of the river's water. The officials gathered at the Medina Street Boat Ramp on Friday. The combined amount is $1.34 million, explained Christopher Curtis, chief planner for the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission. That amount represents 55 percent of the costs for three projects in Chicopee and one project on Holyoke to correct combined sewer overflow (CSO) problems. Older industrial cities such as Holyoke and Chicopee have sewer systems that can allow, with a heavy influx of rainwater, untreated sewage to be swept into the river instead of going to the treatment facility. Curtis noted this is the ninth year the federal grants have been awarded to cities in the Pioneer Valley. Since 1998, the number of active CSO locations have been reduced from about 120 to 72 resulting in a 50 percent reduction in untreated sewage being released into the river from about 1.4 billion gallons per year to .7 billions. Agawam, West Springfield and South Hadley have eliminated the CSOs in those communities. Ludlow has begun construction on it last CSO project. What remains are about 72 CSOs in Springfield, Chicopee and Holyoke with a cost of $325 million. The grants that were announced last week will address four CSO projects: Chicopee Upper Granby Road includes the separation of about 25,000 feet of combined sewers and would eliminate 11.5 millions gallons of CSO overflow annually; Chicopee Broadway and Beauchamp, Phases A and B Phase A involves 64,500 feet of combined sewers, while Phase B involves 35,500 feet. The two projects would prevent 24 millions gallons of discharge from entering the river; Chicopee Cecile Drive includes the alteration of 6,750 feet of combined sewers that currently release 8 million gallons of untreated wastewater annually; Holyoke Jones Ferry Road involves the separation of a CSO just 50 feet downstream from the city owned Jones Ferry River Access Center and the elimination of .9 million gallons of overflow. Chicopee's share for the cost of the projects will be over $760,000, while Holyoke's share for its one project will be over $315,000. Stan Kulig of the Chicopee Department of Public Works said the three Chicopee projects would first go through a design phase that would take a year to a year-and-a-half. He expected the bidding process would be in either 2010 or 2011. William Fuqua of the Holyoke Department of Public Works said the Jones Ferry project was smaller in scope than any of the Chicopee projects and the design would be done in this fall with bidding starting sometime next spring. He added the city of Holyoke has invested $1 million in the Jones Ferry River Access Center and that taking care of the CSO there is important. The federal grant would "help rate payers escape the burden" of the full cost of the project, he said. Neal said he was proud of the designation of the Connecticut River as a "National Heritage River," and added the region is living better because of the strides made in economic improvements. Bissonnette thanked Neal, Congressman John Olver and Senators Edward Kennedy and John Kerry for their roles in securing the grants, part of what the mayor called "a continuing partnership." | ||||||
