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Connecticut's Attorney General and the Connecticut Fund for the Environment have announced an agreement with Branford-based manufacturer, Atlantic Wire.  This settles a lawsuit that charged the company with repeatedly releasing pollutants into the Branford River, which flows into Long Island Sound. 

Atlantic Wire has agreed to pay the state $1.5 million dollars for dumping acidic materials into the Branford River, killing hundreds of blue crabs and other aquatic life. The company has also agreed to set aside nearly $900-thousand dollars as part of its bankruptcy proceedings to clean up its manufacturing site.

In September the company ceased operations. Attorney, Roger Reynolds with the Connecticut Fund for the Environment says in this case, the clean up funding is critical.

“A problem when a company like this goes out of business, they  were a wire manufacturer and there are a lot of toxic chemicals on the site, there can be a serious hazard to the river and to the town. So we believe that the priority in the bankruptcy proceedings was to get substantial money to clean up the site so it would not be a continuing threat to Long Island Sound.”

In addition, the company pled guilty last week to a criminal case brought by the U.S. Attorney’s office for violating the Clean Water Act and providing false information to the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection.

Sentencing for that case is scheduled for March. The company has not returned calls requesting a comment.

Block photo courtesy Flickr Creative Commons and Martin Ewing.