Tilcon president answers questions about the quarry deal

By: SCOTT WHIPPLE, Herald Staff

PLAINVILLE - Nine months ago, Tilcon President Rick Mergens asked Plainville town manager Robert E. Lee and New Britain Mayor Timothy Stewart about letting Tilcon mine 131 acres owned by the New Britain Water Department. Mergens told them the company would be willing to donate significant properties surrounding those acres to offset lost open space.

"Everything would be kept in the quarry," Mergens said. "The watershed would actually increase." Mergens said Stewart and Lee, along with water department officials were intrigued with the idea and believed it could work. The next step was a meeting with the Department of Public Health to get a better understanding of what was required by statute, and restrictions placed on the watershed property.

"In our conversation we became aware that the New Britain Water Department would only be able to enter into a revocable annual license agreement," Mergens said. "Our business requires a significant amount of capital to operate; it's highly capital intensive. Going on a year-to-year basis would be very difficult for us."

Then the Department of Health said it would require a feasibility study on the entire property. This would incorporate a yield analysis and a water quality analysis. The study would then have to be submitted to the Department of Environmental Protection for approval. Mergens knew this would take the project into various environmental issues. He estimated that environmental studies would cost Tilcon between $250,000 and $500,000.

"Before we spent this kind of money, I wanted to know if we could enter into a lease agreement longer than a year," Mergens said. "Legislation basically allowed us to create a process by which we could take a look at the potential of the deal."

Last week, The Herald asked Mergens about the impact of the project on both Tilcon and the surrounding communities.

Herald: Some Tilcon neighbors have complained they were sandbagged by this deal.
Mergens: We are admittedly on the defensive. It would have been nice if residents could have waited until we talked to them.

Herald: What's the message you'd like to communicate about the project?
Mergens: The more people know about the project the more they tend to favor it. We believe this is because it mandates a thousand-foot buffer zone between mining operations and the neighborhood. That buffer zone doesn't exist now. For neighbors this means increased open space. Also, the state would retain 850 jobs through 2048. Plainville gets the right to receive a minimum of 95 open space acres while realizing an enhanced tax base. The city of New Britain receives $15 million for mineral rights, expanded water supply and storage, also a minimum of 95 acres for open space or reservoir development.

Herald: Some of your neighbors are concerned about the blasting. Is Tilcon?
Mergens: We intend to explore possible blasting mitigation techniques. Numerous environmental safeguards and provisions for public participation were built into the final legislation (SB 1341, described as "an act concerning application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity and Protecting Public Water Supplies from Contamination.") Rigorous regulatory oversight is ensured; neighbors and concerned parties participate in the process.

Herald: What exactly is the impact of SB1341?
Mergens: The legislation was passed and signed by the governor. It represents the beginning - not the end - of the process. It may have been portrayed as something done in the dark of night, but we didn't try to sneak anything by. We're anxious to hold public hearings and do the environmental studies.

Herald: Some residents insist the blasting has increased.
Mergens: We blast three times a week - none on the weekend. We blast twice - at 11:30 a.m. and 11:40 a.m. We notify residents who want to be called before we blast. Every blast is monitored. If anyone feels they have undue vibrations, we monitor their site so they can see what we're doing. We're always testing, trying different ways to minimize the impact.

Herald: If people support the process, what can they expect in return?
Mergens: They get three-to-one donated property, including a watershed reservoir. Early flood events would be contained in the quarry. The [New Britain] Water Department would control it.

Herald: What's the impact if the deal fails?
Mergens: Think of it this way: We employ 350 people at this site. When GE leaves, we'll be Plainville's largest taxpayer. We have 200 families living in this area, not to mention customers and vendors we do business with. Most of the money we spend stays in Connecticut.

Herald: How long will the quarry blasting serve its purpose?
Mergens: If the asphalt, aggregate and concrete doesn't come from here, it's going to come from somewhere else. Though there won't be blasting in the immediate area, communities will suffer.

Herald: If the deal goes through, will Tilcon hire more workers?
Mergens: We'll preserve our current employment base here. Tilcon will stay (in Plainville) if the deal doesn't go through. But we'll focus on our sites in Newington and Wallingford.

Herald: You obviously believe the pros of this deal outweigh the cons?
Mergens: It's hard to argue against three-to-one open space land deal and $15 million for New Britain. Tilcon wants to be a good neighbor; we give to over 80 charities - many in New Britain and Plainville. There'll be land for soccer fields in Plainville. The watershed will be protected.

Herald: How would you summarize this controversy between Tilcon and its neighbors?
Mergens: Some residents may feel, "We didn't have a voice in this thing. This is something that's been done to us." That isn't the case. We're at the start of the process. If the legislation remains on the books and nobody undertakes repeal efforts, these folks are going to have plenty of opportunities to tell us they don't like it. Ultimately, the Plainville and New Britain city councils can vote to accept or reject the deal.