State DEP Eases Regs on Dumping Excess Snow in Waterways

Town officials are casting a wary eye on a state environmental dispensation that would allow municipalities to dispose of excessive snow into rivers, streams and salt water.

Record snowfalls since the Dec. 26 blizzard have buried Connecticut towns and cities with nearly 60 inches of snow in Greenwich. Town officials, just like their counterparts are dealing with how to dispose of the snow. In Greenwich, public works crews having been hauling snow to the Holly Hill Transfer Station and Greenwich Point Park in Old Greenwich.

Until the dispensation, issued Friday by the state Department of Environmental Conservation, town officials have adhered to state regulations that prohibit the dumping of snow – that could be contaminated with salt, sand, and road debris  and oils - into waterways including Long Island Sound.

“The DEP recognizes that the amount of snow accumulating this winter is creating unique issues for cities and towns,” said DEP Commissioner Amy Marrella.  “DEP has, however, adjusted its guidance on this issue to say that snow can be disposed in salt water and certain waterways when upland locations are no longer available and other options, such as snow melting, are not practical.”

Record snowfall so far this winter has strained the budgets and disposal options for many Connecticut cities and towns.

Under its revised rules the DEP will allow municipalities to dispose of some snow in a limited number of waterways, but only snow plowed from streets and contaminated only with sand and salt.

Greenwich Public Works Commissioner Amy Siebert said Monday that she and her staff “are reviewing” the DEP loosening of the rules. She indicated that she is concerned with future potential bureaucratic impact of dumping the snow. “It could be a potential bait and switch,” Siebert said.

“We need to look at … Mother Nature will dictate” what the town may decide,” she added.

At the Holly Hill Transfer Station, towering mini-mountains of snow upwards of 25 feet fill a three-acre spot at the rear of the facility on Holly Hill Lane. Long-time employees there say they cannot recall the transfer station being as full as it is.

Following the DEP announcement Friday, an attorney for the Connecticut Fund for the Environment decried the decision, saying the dumping of snow into waterways should be used only as a last resort.

“Taking the massive buildup of snow we currently have and dumping it in our waterways is the equivalent of dumping municipal garbage into our rivers and Long Island Sound — it should remain illegal in all but the most extreme and controlled circumstances,” said Roger Reynolds, senior attorney for the Connecticut, according to a statement released by the DEP. “The snow that is currently on the ground is not just water — it contains garbage, motor oil and feces from animals, among many other toxic and bacterial pollutants.”

According to the DEP statement, Marella said, “When it comes to disposing of all this snow, we must strike the right balance between environmental protection and public safety.” Marrella also said, “The preferred practice has been – and remains – for plowed snow to be stockpiled at upland locations, such as parks and playing fields, due to the presence of contaminants in the snow that can adversely impact water quality and aquatic life.”

Under the temporarily revised rules, municipalities must either notify the DEP prior to disposing of snow in any waterways, or contact the agency as soon as possible after doing so.

The revised guidelines also require that towns and cities exhaust all other options for disposing of snow before dumping it in local waterways and make sure it is not visibly contaminated with substances other than salt or sand. Coastal communities are encouraged to dump snow in saltwater areas instead of rivers or streams and disposal of snow in lakes or ponds is discouraged.

When dumping snow in a river or stream, the DEP guidelines say, officials should limit it to water bodies that have adequate flow and are not prone to ice jams.

The revised rules mandate that no snow be disposed of in “coastal or freshwater wetlands, eelgrass beds, vegetated shallows, vernal pools, shellfish beds mudflats, public water supply reservoirs and their tributaries, or others areas designated as being environmentally sensitive.”