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Citizens and government agencies continue to be at odds over the clean up of toxic waste in Stratford. After seven months of meetings they haven’t been able to come to an agreement.

In a letter to residents and agencies working on a clean up plan Connecticut’s environmental commissioner Gina McCarthy and Ira Leighton of the U-S EPA wrote  “it is clear to us that no consensus was reached on a permanent solution for Stratford’s contamination.”

That contamination consists of about one million cubic yards of soil containing asbestos, lead and PCBs, left behind by the former auto parts manufacturer Raymark Industries. The waste is scattered across a dozen sites in Stratford including residential and commercial properties, wetlands near the Housatonic River, and in an old ball field. The E.P.A and the DEP favor consolidating much of the waste in town, capping it and redeveloping the properties. But many citizens want it removed. Jim Murphy of the EPA

“The question at hand is when we excavate that waste where does it go? Is it going to be shipped out of town or will we be able to consolidate it, bring it to one of the existing sites in town where there already is a lot of Raymark site and it needs to be addressed anyway. We’re really putting that question on hold right now.”

Tom Smith of the citizens group savestratford.org says he is disappointed in the inflexibility of the government to consider removing the toxic waste.  Despite the lack of consensus on a long term plan there was agreement on consolidating waste on two properties and on a plan to notify buyers of contaminated houses that there are toxic plumes beneath them. In addition, the EPA is hiring a consultant to come up with a re-development plan for the old ball field.