HADDAM, Conn. — Bass anglers and other Connecticut residents are pushing back against Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Co.’s installation of “an ugly orange barrier” that blocks access to some of the best fishing on the Connecticut River.
The power company blocked the one-mile canal a year ago, claiming it was part of security precautions mandated by federal licensing requirements, even though the nuclear plant was decommissioned years before. As fishermen and other river users grumbled about the sudden loss of access and the marring of the scenic beauty of the river, Alan Aronow, a reporter for the Haddam Bulletin newspaper, decided to investigate.
He recently published his findings, and they have infuriated residents and fueled organized opposition to force removal of the barrier.
“If the federal government forced Connecticut Yankee (CY) to put up this barrier, who am I to protest?” said Norb Heil, president of the Heart of Connecticut Bassmasters.
“But if the feds didn’t, then Connecticut Yankee confiscated a one-mile stretch of the Connecticut River, property belonging to the people of the United States. That’s wrong, very wrong.”
“From my investigation of this, the power company is closing access to fishable public water with little real justification,” said Gene Gilliland, conservation director for B.A.S.S. “The state agency (Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, or DEEP) that issued the after-the-fact permit did not fully consider boater and angler concerns.”
And, based on Aronow’s research, the Connecticut B.A.S.S. Nation (CBN) is circulating a flyer that insists the federal government did not require or authorize closing of the canal.
“If this gets you angry, join the crowd,” the flyer says. “We want CY to remove the ugly barrier. CY has stonewalled criticism and will keep this barrier up, blocking a public waterway, unless you protest, and do it loudly!”
The flyer encourages citizens to voice their opposition at the website Ugly Orange Barrier on CT River and support a petition to DEEP Commissioner Robert Klee, asking for revocation of the permit that allows the barrier.
Aronow, meanwhile, explained that opponents of the barrier were hopeful that a July 23 meeting would result in a compromise, such as moving the barrier back into the canal for a half mile.
“But DEEP and Connecticut Yankee said they did nothing wrong,” said Aronow. “Now, Connecticut Yankee has the ball in its court, and there’s no urgency to do anything. It’s hoping that public agitation will die down.”
The reporter added that his requests for information through the Freedom of Information Act also revealed the CY is contemplating construction of a permanent barrier with a walkway for guards.
In his investigative piece, Aronow said, “According to our research, there appears to be no NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) regulation requiring it (the barrier), no radiation safety issue, and the attempted shooting of the guard (at an active nuclear power facility in Tennessee) may be a non-issue, but CY used all three to justify the closing of the waterway.
“The permit process, if there was one, was hugely flawed, giving one corporation preferential treatment not offered to other citizens living on the banks of the Connecticut River.”
One positive development is that Haddam’s First Selectman, Melissa Schlag, seems concerned about the legitimacy of the permitting process for the barrier, which CY erected before even seeking local and state approval. Her predecessor approved the action, which then allowed CY to request a permit from DEEP.
“If this waterway is part of our public trust, our government has a duty to protect it and keep it open to all, not close it to benefit one private company,” Schlag said.
You can help by signing the petition here.