A Windsor Locks Town resident rolls up her sleeves and gets involved

A Bald Eagle 

I have received a lot of e-mails from people asking how they can get involved and help.  One town resident Sue C. wrote the following letter.

DEP,
I learned last night at a public hearing in Windsor Locks, that the Windsor
Locks Canal State Park Trail is in danger due to plans that Babylon
Recycling Center has proposed to increase the intake at their facility to
include Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), or in laymen's terms, household
garbage.  Household garbage to be loaded onto trains and carried right
along the Windsor Locks Canal State Park Trail.  Disturbing and disrupting
what the  Department of Environmental Protection website describes
as..."scenic vistas of both the Connecticut River and the old canal."
Imagine walking this beautiful path only to be surrounded by the smell of
rotting garbage.

As I'm sure you know, this canal trail is closed during the winter months
because of the Bald Eagles that nest on a nearby island on the Connecticut
river.  It has been only recently that this species has been upgraded from
Endangered to Threatened on Connecticut's official Endangered, Threatened,
and Special Concern Species List.  What impact would this environmental
change has on this species?

I feel that if Babylon Recycling Center is allowed to move forward with
their plans of expansion, that it would greatly impact the enjoyment of the
Windsor Locks Canal State Park Trail, and quite possibly deter the Bald
Eagle from nesting in this area.

I would like to know what the Connecticut DEP plans are, if any, to protect
this State Park.  I would also like to know, what I can do as a citizen of
Windsor Locks, CT to prevent Babylon from moving on with it's plans to
begin moving household trash alongside a state park trail.


Thank you,
Sue C.


Sue e-mailed this letter to the Department of Environmental Protection at dep.stateparks@ct.gov, and dep.webmaster@ct.gov .  If you would like to get involved and have questions, please e-mail the Save Windsor Locks team at savewindsorlocks@gmail.com