The major gas spill that took place in November 2022 continues to absorb town leaders’ time and energy. First Selectmen Matt Riiska is seeking an additional $752,000 in insurance compensation for expenses on Maple Avenue resulting from the spill.
He recently submitted all the required documentation to the insurance company representing Soundview Transportation, the company responsible for the spill.
The state reached a settlement with Soundview in March 2025, fining it $350,000 and requiring it to pay for ongoing remediation and cleanup. The spill, which sent 8,200 gallons of gas cascading over the landscape and through the town’s storm water system, is said to be the largest in Connecticut’s history.
The town had already planned to reconstruct Maple Avenue but had not yet voted on improvements at the time of the spill. Riiska has segregated invoices from the construction firm, which did both the cleanup and the municipal upgrade of the road, that he contends relate specifically to the spill.
He has also included costs such as the tax abatements given to property owners on Route 44, which has resulted in a loss of income to the town.