SENATOR FLEXER WELCOMES CONNECTICUT ENFORCEMENT ACTION AGAINST OLD KILLINGLY POND DAM OWNER

KILLINGLY – After months of behind-the-scenes advocacy and negotiations, state Senator Mae Flexer today announced that the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has issued a draft consent order to the owner of the failing dam at Old Killingly Pond.

The order requires that the owner repair the dam and restore water levels because of the pond’s impact on species and habitats if the dam were to permanently remain in a drawdown condition.

Old Killingly Pond is a beloved 138-acre local treasure that’s valued for its beauty, history, and recreation. Last September, the owner of the dam – Wright Investors’ Service Holdings Inc. (WISH) – dropped the water level of the pond about 10 feet after an investigation showed significant seepage from the dam, indicating possible erosion. Old Killingly Pond has an average depth of 11 feet, meaning WISH essentially drained the pond.

Over the past year, Sen. Flexer has attended multiple public and private meetings seeking a resolution to this problem.

“This is a great example of government actually listening to people and holding corporations accountable for their actions. These owners have a responsibility to their neighbors and to the environment to maintain these dams,” Sen. Flexer said today. “This will continue to be a long road to get WISH to do the right thing. I want to thank the scores of Killingly residents, including the members of the Killingly Inland Wetland and Watercourses Commission and all the concerned neighbors, for all their hard work over the past year and for making your voices heard. Your advocacy has made all the difference. I also want to thank DEEP Acting Commissioner Emma Cimino and Governor Lamont and all the folks at DEEP for their dedicated leadership on this issue. This is the beginning of a conversation between the state and the dam owner that will take time, but will hopefully result in the restoration of the Old Killingly Pond, which has long been a beloved treasure for northeastern Connecticut.”

Sen. Flexer attended a meeting this afternoon with town officials, including Killingly Town Council Chair Ed Grandelski and Councilor Tammy Wakefield, and with DEEP Acting Commission Cimino and various DEEP officials.