Disruptions, disputes and microbes

By Joe Kelly

Five months after a tanker truck crashed on Route 44, Norfolk continues to grapple with the impact of the 8,200-gallon spill that drenched the center of town.

The disruption and dislocation that began in the early morning hours of Nov. 5, 2022, also continue for residents closest to the crash site, among them Courtney Toomey, her partner Brian Quinones, and their family of four children, ages four to 14.

A Family Just Settling in Norfolk

“The house shook like you wouldn’t believe,” Toomey recalled. “We looked out the window and saw the truck on its side, sliding to a halt. Within seconds the house began to fill with fumes. The driveway was a river of gas. We grabbed the kids and ran outside . . . barely dressed. We drove the car through a neighbor’s yard and parked. Brian ran and helped the driver get out of the road.”

The family had only started renting the home on Route 44 a few months before the crash. It was an ideal location for children attending Botelle School, and a homecoming for Toomey, who stayed here as a child when her grandfather, Sid Toomey, was the town’s resident trooper. 

The family returned home after the crash but sought other accommodations in early December and had to move again just before Christmas. “It was tough,” Toomey said, her voice cracking frequently during the conversation. “There was a kind of sticky film on all the furniture. After we moved, we ended up with no tree at Christmas.” With limited housing prospects in Norfolk, they’re uncertain what the future holds.

Longtime Residents

Neighbors Clint Webb and Judith Anderson also moved out of the home they have owned for 13 years because of concerns over toxic fumes still being emitted by contaminated soil and water. 

Although air quality tests conducted inside area homes have shown that benzene and other toxic substances are either not present or found at levels below what the state regulates, Webb (who is an environmental scientist) believes the exposure levels permitted by the state are too high because they are geared toward industrial or other work environments.

“We are not in our house for just eight hours and then leaving. Especially in the winter, we could be in there 24/7. Everyone has told me that regardless of what the levels are, we shouldn’t be in there,” said Webb. “This whole thing is very stressful. It was thrust on us all of a sudden and now it’s all we talk about. There’s a lot of angst. And it doesn’t help that the rest of the town does not seem to think it’s a big deal.” 

The levels of toxic chemicals from the spill could be a major point of contention. At the most recent update meeting, held March 7, Peter Bowman, an attorney with BBB Attorneys who represents the Webbs, the Toomey/Quinones family and other residents, pointedly asked about evidence of toxic chemicals. 

Tensions Over Testing

Several residents who challenged the air quality testing also balked at allowing water sampling wells to be dug on their properties, leading to tensions with town officials, Verdantas, the Ohio-based company overseeing the spill cleanup, and downstream residents worried about delays. Tempers flared at the Jan. 31 spill meeting and again on March 7. 

First Selectman Matt Riiska reported that Verdantas has now obtained full access to dig wells and test. He said the delay “had an impact” but does not foresee it jeopardizing the success of the cleanup.

Work Crews and Heavy Equipment 

In coming weeks, work crews and heavy equipment will return to the Route 44 crash site to replace drainage pipes and remove contaminated soil and water. After that, there will be extensive work at the intersection of Maple Avenue with Pettibone Lane, including removal of contaminated soil, replacement of storm and sewer drains and reconstruction of the rock wall on the street’s west side. 

The long-planned renovation of the rest of Maple Avenue—repaving, new drainage, sidewalks—will get underway soon thereafter. “We don’t want to do all of this work, stop, and then start disrupting everyone all over again,” Riiska said.

Plans for Bioremediation

Physical removal of contaminated materials will give way to a less invasive and expensive strategy of bioremediation, according to a plan submitted to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). This will involve spreading nearly 400 gallons of an all-natural substance with the brand name Petrox, containing microbes that digest the hydrocarbons and render them harmless to people and the environment. Petrox was developed by Ohio-based CL Solutions, which first got involved in bioremediation in the late 1990s with products designed to clean up dry-cleaning solvents.

Mike Saul, president of CL Solutions, said the microbes in Petrox have characteristics that make them appropriate for gas spills. The microbes are propagated in labs, provided in refrigerated packs, added to water onsite and injected into soil. Saul said because the microbes are naturally occurring, they do not pose a risk to humans or pets (in the phone interview he was emphatic on this point). 

Bioremediation is less expensive than hauling the materials away, making it an attractive option for the trucking company’s insurer, Federated Insurance. At the same time, it’s less disruptive to residents and property owners and can potentially lead to a faster, more thorough removal of toxic substances. The primary variable, Saul said, is ensuring that the Petrox is spread so that the microbes reach the gasoline wherever it is located (i.e., there are no hidden pockets of gas). According to the plan submitted to DEEP, Petrox will be spread in the drainage channel where much of the gas flowed, the area on Maple Avenue and Pettibone Lane where large amounts of gas collected and in the sand bed at the Norfolk Sewer District, where gas has also been detected.

Legal, Logistical and Financial Issues for Town

Town officials continue to wrestle with spill-related legal, logistical and financial issues. “It’s really something every day, sometimes requiring several hours a day,” said Riiska. The brunt of the effort has been borne by Riiska; Michael Halloran, zoning and wetlands enforcement officer; and Tara Yard, social services director. Riiska reported that costs for the town are nearing $300,000, and Federated Insurance has been slow to pay. 

Editor’s Note: Efforts to reach Verdantas, the industrial hygienist conducting air quality testing, Connecticut DEEP, Federated Insurance and the attorney for the residents were unsuccessful.