The Waterbury Times|Breaking News|Published May 19, 2026
Waterbury- Members of the Waterbury Board of Aldermen 5th District caucus are calling on Mayor Paul Pernerewski to retract and correct what they describe as a “deeply misleading” statement regarding a recent environmental remediation vote tied to PCB contamination at 777 South Main Street and the Mad River Redevelopment Corridor.
In a formal press release issued Tuesday , Aldermen Rafael Feliciano-Roman, Sandra Martinez-McCarthy, and Adrian Sanchez said the administration’s public framing of the May 11 vote misrepresented both the outcome and the governing process outlined in the Waterbury City Charter.
Dispute Over Charter Procedure and Vote Outcome
The controversy centers on a vote related to Amendment #1 to an environmental remediation contract involving 359 Mill Street and 777 South Main Street.
The mayor’s office previously characterized the vote as a failure to advance critical cleanup efforts. However, the 5th District caucus argues the measure was not permanently defeated but instead advanced under charter rules to a subsequent meeting for further consideration.
Citing Section 3B-4(c) of the City Charter, the aldermen state that spending-related resolutions require either 11 affirmative votes for immediate passage or, if that threshold is not met, continuation to a subsequent meeting where a simple majority may approve the item after review.
They argue that describing the outcome as a “failure” is misleading and does not reflect the legislative process.
Environmental Concerns Remain Central
The caucus emphasized that their objections were not to the remediation of the site itself, but to oversight questions related to the contamination discovered in the Mad River corridor.
According to the release, concerns raised by the aldermen included:
- whether PCB contamination had migrated further into the Mad River watershed
- the scope and mapping of soil contamination
- the timeline of discovery and reporting of a 10,000-gallon underground storage tank
- oversight and disclosure practices involving the Waterbury Development Corporation
The group also noted that during public meetings, city officials clarified that Connecticut regulators had not yet issued fines, but rather notices of potential penalties should corrective action fail to occur.
Broader Environmental Concerns in the South End
The statement further broadened criticism to what the caucus described as longstanding environmental burdens placed on the city’s 5th District.
The aldermen pointed to ongoing industrial activity, waste operations, trucking traffic, and redevelopment discussions in the South End, arguing that residents continue to shoulder disproportionate environmental impacts compared to other parts of the city.
Absences From Special Meeting Addressed
The caucus also responded to criticism regarding the absence of three 5th District aldermen from the May 18 special meeting, stating the absences were due to medical treatment, work obligations, and family commitments.
They further argued that the meeting was scheduled on short notice and conflicted with previously scheduled budget-related proceedings.
Joint Statement: “Residents Deserve Facts, Not Framing”
In a joint statement, the aldermen rejected allegations that their votes were intended to obstruct environmental cleanup efforts.
“We will never apologize for asking questions when environmental contamination threatens our neighborhoods and waterways,” the statement read. “The item in question was never killed under the City Charter. It simply advanced to the next meeting where it could have lawfully passed.”
They further accused the administration of politicizing environmental concerns and urged officials to retract statements suggesting members voted to “keep contaminants in the ground.”
The statement concluded by calling for greater transparency, stronger oversight of redevelopment agencies, and protections for residents in environmentally burdened neighborhoods.
Background: Mad River Redevelopment Corridor
The dispute stems from ongoing remediation work at the Mad River Redevelopment Corridor, where contractors discovered a previously unidentified underground storage tank containing PCB-contaminated material, along with surrounding soil contamination.
The site is part of a broader redevelopment effort in the South End of Waterbury overseen in coordination with state environmental regulators.
The issue has since escalated into a broader political dispute over legislative procedure, environmental oversight, and communication between city leadership and the Board of Aldermen.
Mayor’s Statement-
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