Environmental Study Team

Lake Whitney Water Treatment Plant Environmental Study Team

To complete the environmental planning and evaluation of potential impacts of the Lake Whitney water treatment plant project, the Authority created a team of scientists to evaluate potential effects on the environment and recommend measures for mitigating adverse impacts. The Environmental Study Team (EST) has met regularly since 1998 to provide interdisciplinary consideration of all aspects of the planning process and of potential environmental impacts. The EST completed their final report in January 1999. In 2000 the team was expanded to include a qualified scientist jointly representing the City of New Haven and the Town of Hamden. The Environmental Study Team has continued to monitor the effectiveness of environmental mitigation measures established under the Management Plan for the water treatment plant, which began operation in 2005. Current team members’ qualifications and their contributions are summarized below:

John P. Hudak, Environmental Planning Manager for the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority, coordinates the Environmental Study Team and associated environmental monitoring activities, and is the principal Authority liaison for team members and neighborhood groups. Mr. Hudak holds a B.S. degree in Marine Biology from Southampton College and an M.S. degree in Marine Environmental Science from S.U.N.Y. at Stony Brook. He has several publications related to marine microbial ecology and source water protection. Mr. Hudak has been with the Authority since 1988 where his current responsibilities include oversight of Authority programs involving source water protection planning, environmental regulatory compliance, raw water monitoring, reservoir management projects, stormwater management, and environmental impact studies. Mr. Hudak coordinated the design and construction of several stormwater treatment system adjacent to Lake Whitney. He is a member of the Connecticut Water Works Association, the Mill River Watershed Association, and Trout Unlimited.

James T. Maughan, Ph.D., Environmental Scientist with the consulting firm of CH2M HILL, directed short-term monitoring studies of flow and water quality in the Mill River downstream of the dam and computer modeling of potential changes in the Mill River under projected scenarios of water supply use of Lake Whitney. He served on the project team for the Upper Lake Whitney Management Study and currently assists with analyzing ongoing dissolved oxygen and salinity data in the Mill River downstream of the Lake Whitney dam. Dr. Maughan has over 25 years’ experience in water resource evaluation and restoration. He has been program manager for complex environmental programs involving water resource issues, including development of the Environmental Impact Statement for the Boston Harbor Cleanup. He managed the technical support contract for the US Environmental Protection Agency Region I water division for 8 years, a program that included producing plans and developing programs for water resource management in New England. His experience also includes research and extensive publication on the scientific, engineering, and policy aspects of water resource management. In 1996-97, Dr. Maughan served as chairman of the Massachusetts Clean Water Council Regulatory Committee. He currently teaches a graduate course at Tufts University in “Environmental Impact Assessment Methodology”.

Penelope C. Sharp provided wetland and vegetation analyses for the Lake Whitney shoreline, the site of the proposed water treatment plant, and nontidal wetlands of the lower Mill River, and assisted in studies of the Mill River freshwater tidal marshes. She is currently involved with ongoing monitoring of the Mill River freshwater tidal marshes and maintenance of vegetation survey transects. Ms. Sharp has consulted to the Authority since 1990 on wetland studies, environmental assessments, land use planning projects, and site plan reviews. A professionally certified wetland scientist, she has consulted on evaluation of inland wetlands for a variety of public and private clients, and has prepared comprehensive town-wide assessments of wetlands and open space for several Connecticut towns. She has also performed botanical inventories for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers through the CT DEP. Ms. Sharp is a board member and secretary for the Connecticut Association of Wetland Scientists and the Connecticut Association of Conservation and Inland Wetland Commissions and is active in several other environmental organizations, including the Connecticut Botanical Society, Connecticut Rivers Advisory Committee, and the Invasive Plant Task Force of Connecticut.

Carl D. Nielsen is a Senior Water Resource Scientist working for ESS Group, Inc. (ESS) out of their Wellesley, MA office. ESS was appointed to the Study Team in 2000 as the designated representative for the municipalities of New Haven and Hamden. Mr. Nielsen has a B.S. degree in Biology from Colgate University and an M.S. degree in Fisheries and Wildlife from the University of Missouri. Mr. Nielsen has over 10 years of experience in aquatic invertebrate and plant taxonomy, aquatic habitat assessment, and aquatic ecology. Mr. Nielsen specializes in the development and implementation of a wide range of aquatic ecosystem evaluations pertaining to aquatic habitat, water quality and biological resources. Mr. Nielsen was part of the ESS review team hired by the City of New Haven to evaluate the previous work conducted by RWA and its consultants in support of the Lake Whitney Water Treatment Plant and currently helps evaluate ongoing studies being conducted as part of the long-term monitoring program. Mr. Nielsen has worked extensively for both state and local government throughout New England as well as for the federal government, municipal water districts, local lake associations, industrial facilities, property developers, major corporations, ski areas, airports and golf courses.