CT State Rep Supports Concrete Foundations Bill

From The Office of State Rep Sam Belsito: State Representative Sam Belsito supported legislation before the Appropriations Committee on Friday, which looks to create regulations for installing concrete foundations. The bill, House Bill 7175, establishes several requirements related to testing concrete aggregate intended for residential use.

“This legislation will help prevent the pouring of faulty concrete foundations from occurring down the road,” said Rep. Belsito. “Requiring companies to test concrete before it is poured is common sense and should have been done years ago.

Rep. Belsito continued, “The crumbling foundation issue will have an impact on every resident in Connecticut, regardless of where he/she lives. Thousands of homeowners are living with a crumbling foundation, and without the state and the federal government stepping in, this serious problem will have a devastating impact on families and towns. The time to act is now, and I will continue to work with all the stakeholders to find relief for my constituents living with a crumbling foundation.”

Under the proposal, the Consumer Protection Commissioner is required to adopt regulations, by January 1, 2018, establishing requirements for the testing and sale of aggregates, including requirements related to aggregates that test positive for pyrrhotite. The bill also requires the owner or operator of an aggregate extraction facility, by July 1, 2018, to begin annually testing aggregates and reporting the results to the Department of Consumer Protection and to publish a quality control plan.

Owners and operators must file the test results with DCP, on a form its commissioner prescribes. DCP must maintain this information electronically for at least 30 years. Owners and operators must also provide a copy of the results to anyone purchasing their aggregates.

Last year, an investigation by DCP and the Attorney General’s office found that a naturally occurring iron sulfide mineral, pyrrhotite, led to the premature deterioration of certain concrete foundations in parts of the state. Pyrrhotite was present in the aggregate used to produce the concrete poured for these foundations.

House Bill 7175 received bipartisan approval, and now heads to the House floor for further action.

Image Courtesy of the Office of State Rep Sam Belsito