The Waterbury Times|Published May 19, 2026

Waterbury– Waterbury Mayor Paul Pernerewski is sharply criticizing members of the Waterbury Board of Aldermen after a key environmental remediation vote tied to dangerous PCB contamination near the Mad River initially failed earlier this month.

In a lengthy public statement released Tuesday, the mayor accused some aldermen of allowing political disputes and procedural grievances to interfere with what he described as an urgent public health and environmental emergency involving carcinogenic contaminants discovered at the Mad River Redevelopment Corridor site at 777 South Main Street.

According to the statement, contractors discovered a previously unidentified 10,000-gallon underground storage tank containing PCB-contaminated oily water and sludge, along with surrounding soil contamination measuring approximately 2,200 parts per million near the banks of the Mad River during remediation activities.

The contamination is regulated under the federal Toxic Substances Control Act and prompted intervention from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, which warned the city it could face enforcement penalties of up to $25,000 per day if corrective action was not taken.

The controversy centers around a May 11 vote before the Board of Aldermen regarding Amendment #1 to a construction contract for environmental waste remediation at 359 Mill Street and 777 South Main Street.

Although nine aldermen voted in favor of the measure, the amendment failed because the board required 11 affirmative votes for passage.

The six “no” votes came from:

• Rafael Feliciano-Roman
• Mike Grosso
• Bryan McEntee
• Sandra Martinez-McCarthy
• Adrian Sanchez
• Kelly Zimmermann

The mayor specifically highlighted that three of the no votes came from aldermen representing Waterbury’s 5th District, where the contamination site is located.

Following the failed vote, the mayor called a special meeting on May 18 to revisit the matter before the remediation contract expired.

During that meeting, tense exchanges unfolded between board leadership and minority caucus members over board procedures and the failed vote.

Minority Leader Kelly Zimmermann argued the failed vote stemmed from frustration over procedural disputes and rule changes within the Board of Aldermen, stating:

“We have asked, we have begged, we have pleaded for our rules to be changed.”

Zimmermann later stated during the meeting:

“It’s not to keep a contaminate in the ground or anything like that.”

Board President Michael DiGiovancarlo responded by questioning whether the minority caucus intended to “stonewall any good vote” due to disagreements over internal board procedures.

The amendment ultimately passed unanimously among those present during the May 18 special meeting, allowing the remediation project to move forward. However, according to the mayor’s statement, Aldermen Feliciano-Roman, Sanchez, and Martinez-McCarthy were absent from the special meeting despite representing the impacted district.

The administration argues the initial failed vote created unnecessary delays, increased potential liability exposure, and forced emergency intervention from state environmental regulators.

The remediation site is part of the broader Mad River Redevelopment Corridor project, an ongoing redevelopment initiative in the South Main Street area of Waterbury.

The mayor stated the city will continue working with state and federal environmental agencies to ensure the contamination is addressed “responsibly, lawfully, and without unnecessary political interference.

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