Special Edition!

The Norfolk Fire Volunteer Fire Department and Norfolk Now have both requested that we help distribute information this week--the Fire Department about the catastrophic gasoline spill that occurred Saturday and its aftermath, and Norfolk Now to clarify an article that appeared in its last issue concerning a Question on Tuesday's mid-term election ballot about Early Voting. We, of course, are happy to comply. Please note that Norfolk's Emergency Management Department has a regular feed on the town's website, norfolkct.org.

For more about what’s happening, visit norfolkct.org's calendar section, your daily directory to Norfolk living. Be sure to forward this newsletter to a friend so they can sign up for a free subscription.

After the Crash, the Cleanup Continues

The following press release comes from the Norfolk Fire Department:

“At 5:58 a.m. Saturday morning, the Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department and Norfolk Lions Club Ambulance were dispatched to a reported gasoline tanker rollover in front of 97 Greenwoods Road East, also known as Route 44.

Upon arrival, the first volunteers found the driver had extricated himself from the overturned cab and and that the tanker had been breached and was leaking gasoline onto the roadway. Further questioning of the driver revealed that he was carrying a full load of 8,200 gallons of gasoline.

Due to the immediate threat of fire and explosion, removal of the residents of nearby houses was carried out promptly. Eversource was notified to cut power to the grid and Aquarian was notified to ensure that we had enough water to fight any potential fire.

Numerous local, regional, state, and federal resources were onsite to assist with the containment and will continue to be there into early this week.

Investigation by CT DEEP showed that the majority of gasoline made its way into the storm drain system along Route 44 or onto the front lawns of neighboring houses. Following the route of travel, the gasoline made its way under Pettibone Lane and into the brook at Maple Avenue and down to the culvert at the five-way intersection of Emerson St, Mills Way, Shepard Road, and John Curtiss Road. A sand berm was put into place blocking the movement of gasoline further under Shepard Road and preventing the gasoline from entering the Blackberry River. CT DEEP has continued to monitor the river and there is no evidence that any product has moved that far.

Environmental cleanup will continue for at least the next several days both at the crash site as well as at the stream with contaminated water and soil being taken off site.

By 8 p.m. Saturday, residents were allowed to return to their homes after the residences were checked by the NVFD and cleared of any dangerous levels of gasoline fumes.

Botelle Elementary School will be open Monday. The local bus company has been notified of road closures and families have been told of possible disruption to the bus routes. The Norfolk Early Learning Center building has also been cleared of any dangerous levels of contaminants and will be open on Monday.

The Norfolk Town Hall will be open on Tuesday for voting as usual and Maple Avenue will be accessible for residents to travel to the Town Hall.

Route 44 from Maple Avenue to Laurel Way is expected to be closed for several more days and local detours are still set up around Laurel Way and Maple Avenue. While residents can use those streets to get to their houses, we are asking that you follow the longer detour (Route 272 – Ashpohtag – Loon Meadow back to Route 44. There are numerous trucks using the local roads to cart material and we need to keep the roads as clear as possible for them to work.

Truck and tractor trailer traffic is asked to follow Route 272 South to Route 263 into Winchester Center and then down to Route 44 in Winsted.

The Selectmen’s Office has notified various boards and commissions, including Planning & Zoning and Inland Wetlands Commission of the cleanup efforts and of future plans.

Norfolk Department of Public Works has been instrumental in refueling the fire trucks on-site as well as helping with logistics and heavy equipment.

Lastly, the fire department asks that anyone that has a smell or concern about gas fumes inside your home, to call 911 and we will investigate.

Norfolk Now Clarification

Norfolk Now appreciates being allowed to print a clarification to an article in its recently published November issue:

Norfolk Now regrets that its front-page article on the proposed amendment to permit early voting suggested that a yes vote would allow new procedures that would diminish the security of the voting process.  There is only one question at issue: whether or not Connecticut should permit in-person voting prior to the actual election day.  Authorization of early voting will have no effect on the security of the election.  

The materials provided by the Connecticut Secretary of State explaining the proposed amendment have given rise to some confusion. The text of the amendment includes the deletion of the phrase "under seal" in describing how election results are delivered to the Secretary of State. This requirement refers specifically to the 18th-century practice of using hot wax to seal documents, a practice abandoned long ago. Ballots continue to be enclosed in double envelopes.  Election results are delivered to the Secretary of State electronically and by mail.  

Here is a link to an Associated Press article on the topic.
https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-election-voting-ballots-Connecticut-039419340590