A Citizen’s Guide to Urban River Permits
A new handbook has made it easier for the public to be involved in the permitting process that regulates the use of the three major rivers in Greater New Haven.
The Urban River Permits Review and Advocacy Recommendations for the Quinnipiac, Mill, and West Rivers lists the major water permits and their expiration dates for purposes of coordinating public participation in the three corresponding watersheds. The report lays out the timeline for river advocacy to influence key permits and regulatory decisions and provides the tools that advocates can use to further restore these rivers to benefit both people and wildlife.
“We’re trying to even the odds here,” said Mary Mushinsky, Director of River Advocates of South Central CT, which produced the report along with the the Mill River Watershed Association of South Central Connecticut.
“In many of these meetings, the regulated community, that is the people that hold the permits, are always there. There is not always representation from the general public who would like to see the rivers cleaner.
It’s a handbook. You can go to each section and read about best practices and then go to a hearing and get them inserted. If more people do that there will be a shift toward more protections.”
Download the report here: mill_river_pages.pdf