The fate of this facility that handles approximately one-third of Connecticut's waste has been debated for years, with disruptive equipment outages and numerous delays along the way. Whether through MIRA or another entity, the result is the same tipping fees are offset by electricity sales. 
CT is working hard to move in this direction and we all must do our part. Contact: John Horgan 
But Wray, with the Capitol Region Council of Governments, said the cost of replacing a plant with as big of a footprint as MIRAs is beyond what towns alone could cover. %PDF-1.3
%
We have a problem with life cycles, said Lyle Wray, with the Capitol Region Council of Governments, a coalition of town leaders from about 40 municipalities in Greater Hartford. Having 80 percent of towns opt in gives them that assurance, and could keep tipping fees about $15 per ton cheaper than they otherwise would be, Kirk said. Lee D. Hoffman is chairman of Hartford law firm Pullman & Comleys Regulatory, Energy & Telecommunications Department. Its a giant step backwards. The Wheelabrator Lisbon waste-to-energy facility provides dependable, environmentally safe disposal of up to 500 tons daily of everyday household and business waste, using it as a fuel to generate as much as 15 MW of clean, renewable electricity for sale to the local utility. For Wheelabrator to give us the resources to take on environmental problems in our community, its so unique. We use waste to produce 17 megawatts of electricity 24/7 - enough to power 12,000 homes for a year. Zero Waste, not expanding a polluting ash disposal facility and destroying wetlands, is the better solution for Connecticut! Waste to energy plants all operate at full capacity, Kirk said. He said theres not a lot of pressure on state officials to regain a more progressive and sound focus on solid waste because other states are currently accepting Connecticuts trash. Every year, our facility processes more than 257,000 tons of waste that would otherwise have ended up in landfills. 0000083768 00000 n
In addition to keeping waste out of landfills, were committed to ensuring safe operations and minimizing environmental impacts. Its life-changing for our kids.- Stephen Brown, Teacher, Lisbon Central School, Special Waste Contact:specialwaste@wtienergy.com. Last week, Dykes and Lamont held a press conference at local organics collection company Blue Earth Compost to highlight the type of systems they want to see prioritized. Even if notable progress could be made on reducing the waste that MIRA currently handles, some of that existing tonnage would still require a disposal option. Its disappointing to me to see the state lose its self-sufficiency, to take this disappointing step backwards in our progressive waste management policy, Kirk said. Sacyr noted an interest in staying involved with Connecticut's waste sector, but its own next steps are unclear. Unfortunately, a regional commercial ash disposal facility in Putnam, CT is planning to expand which will harm acres of wetlands and a local tributary that feeds the Quinebaug River. It could be because it is not supported, or that JavaScript is intentionally disabled. MIRA's board previously identified exporting to out-of-state landfills as the only near-term alternative, but DEEP is calling for new ideas beyond solely converting the site to a transfer station. All of that sounded good but we continue to generate more trash and waste-to-energy incinerators are neither efficient, nor clean, renewable sources of energy! Telephone: 860-889-4900 0000002870 00000 n
0000001618 00000 n
In addition, the facility engages with the town, supporting the local fire department and sponsoring its annual golf tournament and sponsoring the annual Lisbon Fall Festival, a key event for residents and community leaders, as well as supporting the Science Screen Report STEM education package for the local school system. This new investment comes as renewable natural gas projects are increasingly popular.
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For more information on facility performance click here. But if the states waste-to-energy plants become no longer economically viable, tipping fees could rise dramatically, and Connecticut will lose the ability to address waste generation inside its own borders. HW]s|G % =E+E*e$bK7ozf HwU:\>[3e6/ae>Dq!(go>I]n5{Za;?\i.so0U;?3OcLz> 0ByZ)19*Z(hNa2;
_ggt8J,xw But shifting energy markets have hurt the economics of the plants, which may lead to higher disposal fees for businesses and residents.
Theyve got all they need to continue to operate, and essentially substitute MIRA waste for someone elses.. Beyond the industry, it has the potential to affect most of Connecticuts businesses and residents. trailer << /Size 27 /Info 4 0 R /Root 7 0 R /Prev 102629 /ID[] >> startxref 0 %%EOF 7 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Pages 3 0 R /Metadata 5 0 R /PageLabels 2 0 R >> endobj 25 0 obj << /S 36 /L 97 /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 26 0 R >> stream Instead ofexpandingour waste facilities and investing in further pollution, Connecticutshould refocus its efforst on Zero Waste policies which help toprevent waste before it starts and protect our communities, air and water from harm.
What's Next for Waste and Recycling in 2022? As disposal capacity continues to shrink in the Northeast, the cost to ship waste elsewhere is expected to rise over time. DEEP and towns are also partnering to cut down trash through more recycling and getting food out of the trash bin. The sale of energy paid for about 40 to 50% of the operation of the plant and when that happened, the tipping fees for member towns increased. Nine public media stations bringing you stories of our rapidly changing region. MIRA has only reluctantly accepted the fate of the South Meadows trash to energy plan, criticized for spewing toxic fumes into south Hartford and contributing to pollution that disproportionately harms Black and Latino residents. And I do see the system falling apart.. First, the good news: Connecticut leads the nation in sustainable solid waste management practices, according to Columbia Universitys Earth Engineering Center. Under their agreement with MIRA, 49 member towns and Hartford have the option to leave their contract each March. When trash is burned, not only is air quality impacted but the ash from burning trash must be collected and stored. 0000001199 00000 n Some of the features on CT.gov will not function properly with out javascript enabled. MIRA anticipates private sector operators will also play a role in managing some of the tonnage,with all of it heading to out-of-state disposal sites. Connecticuts solid waste management and renewable energy policies are at a crossroads. Dykes said its still too early to tell if state taxpayers will have to foot more of the bill to build out more in-state disposal capacity. We dont want to just be relying on other communities in faraway states to handle our garbage.. Do we need to assure their profit as they import more ash from the region? By itself, anemic REC prices may not cause economic strain on the industry, but they are causing significant shortfalls when coupled with recent developments in the wholesale electricity market. A Vermont-based startup has the technology , Episode 252: The Final Episode: How Boston Poet Laureate Porsha Olayiwola Reimagines History; Protesters Reflect On The Year That Changed Us, Episode 251: Reflecting On Surviving The White Gaze; Why Green Burials Are Surging In Popularity, Episode 250: Its Like Climbing Up A Mudslide: Pandemic Pushes Women Out Of The Workforce, Episode 249: Alison Bechdel On The Secret To Superhuman Strength; Advocates Push Colleges To Hire More Black-Owned Firms To Oversee Investments, Episode 248: The Happiness Lab Professor On Ways We Can Be Happier; How Jonny Sun Is Learning To Balance Work And Rest. Good news! Tipping fees will be higher, he said. Plainfield Renewable Energy - Greenleaf Power (Biomass Gasification Facility) While there might always be some waste, the goal is to recover, repurpose and reuse every material that is discarded. It means with no more landfill capacity in the state most, if not all, of Connecticuts trash will be shipped to states like Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey and Virginia. The remaining constituents are well below federal and state standards. 0000002158 00000 n 0000000764 00000 n Ned Lamont's administration inherited the process when it took office in 2019. Financing plans have also shifted along the way, leading to projected tip fees considered too high by some of MIRA's member municipalities and a potential need for state funding that has not been warmly received. At least for now it appears that MIRA is on track to avoid any disruption to trash service for its members in 2022, Kirk still continued to question the wisdom of closing the plant. That will not change until there is either a regulatory statutory restriction against dealing with your garbage that way, or the economics change.. In the perspective of both Kirk and Kirby,organics diversion is a worthwhile discussion but misses the broader issue of how to manage much of the waste that MIRA is contracted to handle through 2027. There are only a few companies that have the capacity to ship waste out of state by rail. 12 Mill Brook Road Located in Preston, Connecticut, the Southeastern Connecticut Resource Recovery Facility is an award-winning Waste-to-Energy Facility that serves the community with reliable and sustainable waste management. Ned Lamont terminated a proposed deal to renovate MIRAs facility. Thats like taking 44,000 passenger vehicles off the road for one year. The company formerly known asBioHiTech Global has seen its stock price plummetfollowingfinancial, operational and legalissues. Any type of new facility, regardless of the technology, would require a longer construction and permitting timeframe. Click here for more NENC stories on waste and trash issues in New England. Over 99.9 percent of what comes out of our plants stack is what youd typically find in air - water vapor, nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide. For now, their ability to corner the market and charge hauling premiumsis held in check by waste-to-energy competition. The state has some composting facilities and one anaerobic digester, but multiple digesters remain permitted and unbuiltdue to what sources describe as a lack of reliable feedstock to attract financing.
Topics covered: recycling, landfills, collections, organics diversion, waste-to-energy, and much more. This effectively ends a final push by MIRA and the Sacyr Rooney Recovery Team (SRRT)to secure financial buy-in for a project initiated by a 2015 request for proposals from DEEP. Hb``f``e```lud8 B1:_aWp5)i\; Contact:Tonya King Former partner Entsorgasees a path forward for its shuttered showcase plant. Thats not an advantage for Hartford, its a disadvantage for everyone., Brendan Crowley covers energy and the environment for CT Examiner. Telephone: 860-885-3512, MIRA, like many incinerators around the country, is located in Hartford, an environmental justice community, with a majority of people of color and low income overburdened by numerous sources of pollution. The state legislature is not currently expected to weigh in during a special summer session. Bristol, CT 06010 Preston, CT 06365 While MIRA is continuing to work through an RFP process for the renovation and operation of its MRF (currently contracted with Republic Services into next year), much of the entity's future operational plans are up in the air. Its official. 0000008829 00000 n Click here for more NENC stories on waste and trash issues in New England, The Gulf of Maine has the most marine mammal diversity on the east coast, study finds, Want to smell in virtual reality? Weve had the opt-out for years, and weve only had a few customers find better alternatives.. Connecticuts leaders have been looking for a solution for the past several years, but one has not emerged. 0000053603 00000 n The agency is requesting MIRA submit a revised version of its FY21 operational plan by Sept. 15. The state refused to borrow money to help keep it going until a more environmentally friendly alternative could be found. MIRA is shutting down which means CT should have less ash but Wheelabrator Putnam is likely to get approval to expand to accommodate more ashpermanently impacting local wetlands, waterways and perhaps be a source of future pollution, including PFAS.
CT is working hard to move in this direction and we all must do our part. Contact: John Horgan But Wray, with the Capitol Region Council of Governments, said the cost of replacing a plant with as big of a footprint as MIRAs is beyond what towns alone could cover. %PDF-1.3
%
We have a problem with life cycles, said Lyle Wray, with the Capitol Region Council of Governments, a coalition of town leaders from about 40 municipalities in Greater Hartford. Having 80 percent of towns opt in gives them that assurance, and could keep tipping fees about $15 per ton cheaper than they otherwise would be, Kirk said. Lee D. Hoffman is chairman of Hartford law firm Pullman & Comleys Regulatory, Energy & Telecommunications Department. Its a giant step backwards. The Wheelabrator Lisbon waste-to-energy facility provides dependable, environmentally safe disposal of up to 500 tons daily of everyday household and business waste, using it as a fuel to generate as much as 15 MW of clean, renewable electricity for sale to the local utility. For Wheelabrator to give us the resources to take on environmental problems in our community, its so unique. We use waste to produce 17 megawatts of electricity 24/7 - enough to power 12,000 homes for a year. Zero Waste, not expanding a polluting ash disposal facility and destroying wetlands, is the better solution for Connecticut! Waste to energy plants all operate at full capacity, Kirk said. He said theres not a lot of pressure on state officials to regain a more progressive and sound focus on solid waste because other states are currently accepting Connecticuts trash. Every year, our facility processes more than 257,000 tons of waste that would otherwise have ended up in landfills. 0000083768 00000 n
In addition to keeping waste out of landfills, were committed to ensuring safe operations and minimizing environmental impacts. Its life-changing for our kids.- Stephen Brown, Teacher, Lisbon Central School, Special Waste Contact:specialwaste@wtienergy.com. Last week, Dykes and Lamont held a press conference at local organics collection company Blue Earth Compost to highlight the type of systems they want to see prioritized. Even if notable progress could be made on reducing the waste that MIRA currently handles, some of that existing tonnage would still require a disposal option. Its disappointing to me to see the state lose its self-sufficiency, to take this disappointing step backwards in our progressive waste management policy, Kirk said. Sacyr noted an interest in staying involved with Connecticut's waste sector, but its own next steps are unclear. Unfortunately, a regional commercial ash disposal facility in Putnam, CT is planning to expand which will harm acres of wetlands and a local tributary that feeds the Quinebaug River. It could be because it is not supported, or that JavaScript is intentionally disabled. MIRA's board previously identified exporting to out-of-state landfills as the only near-term alternative, but DEEP is calling for new ideas beyond solely converting the site to a transfer station. All of that sounded good but we continue to generate more trash and waste-to-energy incinerators are neither efficient, nor clean, renewable sources of energy! Telephone: 860-889-4900 0000002870 00000 n
0000001618 00000 n
In addition, the facility engages with the town, supporting the local fire department and sponsoring its annual golf tournament and sponsoring the annual Lisbon Fall Festival, a key event for residents and community leaders, as well as supporting the Science Screen Report STEM education package for the local school system. This new investment comes as renewable natural gas projects are increasingly popular.
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For more information on facility performance click here. But if the states waste-to-energy plants become no longer economically viable, tipping fees could rise dramatically, and Connecticut will lose the ability to address waste generation inside its own borders. HW]s|G % =E+E*e$bK7ozf HwU:\>[3e6/ae>Dq!(go>I]n5{Za;?\i.so0U;?3OcLz> 0ByZ)19*Z(hNa2;
_ggt8J,xw But shifting energy markets have hurt the economics of the plants, which may lead to higher disposal fees for businesses and residents. Theyve got all they need to continue to operate, and essentially substitute MIRA waste for someone elses.. Beyond the industry, it has the potential to affect most of Connecticuts businesses and residents. trailer << /Size 27 /Info 4 0 R /Root 7 0 R /Prev 102629 /ID[] >> startxref 0 %%EOF 7 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Pages 3 0 R /Metadata 5 0 R /PageLabels 2 0 R >> endobj 25 0 obj << /S 36 /L 97 /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 26 0 R >> stream Instead ofexpandingour waste facilities and investing in further pollution, Connecticutshould refocus its efforst on Zero Waste policies which help toprevent waste before it starts and protect our communities, air and water from harm.
What's Next for Waste and Recycling in 2022? As disposal capacity continues to shrink in the Northeast, the cost to ship waste elsewhere is expected to rise over time. DEEP and towns are also partnering to cut down trash through more recycling and getting food out of the trash bin. The sale of energy paid for about 40 to 50% of the operation of the plant and when that happened, the tipping fees for member towns increased. Nine public media stations bringing you stories of our rapidly changing region. MIRA has only reluctantly accepted the fate of the South Meadows trash to energy plan, criticized for spewing toxic fumes into south Hartford and contributing to pollution that disproportionately harms Black and Latino residents. And I do see the system falling apart.. First, the good news: Connecticut leads the nation in sustainable solid waste management practices, according to Columbia Universitys Earth Engineering Center. Under their agreement with MIRA, 49 member towns and Hartford have the option to leave their contract each March. When trash is burned, not only is air quality impacted but the ash from burning trash must be collected and stored. 0000001199 00000 n Some of the features on CT.gov will not function properly with out javascript enabled. MIRA anticipates private sector operators will also play a role in managing some of the tonnage,with all of it heading to out-of-state disposal sites. Connecticuts solid waste management and renewable energy policies are at a crossroads. Dykes said its still too early to tell if state taxpayers will have to foot more of the bill to build out more in-state disposal capacity. We dont want to just be relying on other communities in faraway states to handle our garbage.. Do we need to assure their profit as they import more ash from the region? By itself, anemic REC prices may not cause economic strain on the industry, but they are causing significant shortfalls when coupled with recent developments in the wholesale electricity market. A Vermont-based startup has the technology , Episode 252: The Final Episode: How Boston Poet Laureate Porsha Olayiwola Reimagines History; Protesters Reflect On The Year That Changed Us, Episode 251: Reflecting On Surviving The White Gaze; Why Green Burials Are Surging In Popularity, Episode 250: Its Like Climbing Up A Mudslide: Pandemic Pushes Women Out Of The Workforce, Episode 249: Alison Bechdel On The Secret To Superhuman Strength; Advocates Push Colleges To Hire More Black-Owned Firms To Oversee Investments, Episode 248: The Happiness Lab Professor On Ways We Can Be Happier; How Jonny Sun Is Learning To Balance Work And Rest. Good news! Tipping fees will be higher, he said. Plainfield Renewable Energy - Greenleaf Power (Biomass Gasification Facility) While there might always be some waste, the goal is to recover, repurpose and reuse every material that is discarded. It means with no more landfill capacity in the state most, if not all, of Connecticuts trash will be shipped to states like Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey and Virginia. The remaining constituents are well below federal and state standards. 0000002158 00000 n 0000000764 00000 n Ned Lamont's administration inherited the process when it took office in 2019. Financing plans have also shifted along the way, leading to projected tip fees considered too high by some of MIRA's member municipalities and a potential need for state funding that has not been warmly received. At least for now it appears that MIRA is on track to avoid any disruption to trash service for its members in 2022, Kirk still continued to question the wisdom of closing the plant. That will not change until there is either a regulatory statutory restriction against dealing with your garbage that way, or the economics change.. In the perspective of both Kirk and Kirby,organics diversion is a worthwhile discussion but misses the broader issue of how to manage much of the waste that MIRA is contracted to handle through 2027. There are only a few companies that have the capacity to ship waste out of state by rail. 12 Mill Brook Road Located in Preston, Connecticut, the Southeastern Connecticut Resource Recovery Facility is an award-winning Waste-to-Energy Facility that serves the community with reliable and sustainable waste management. Ned Lamont terminated a proposed deal to renovate MIRAs facility. Thats like taking 44,000 passenger vehicles off the road for one year. The company formerly known asBioHiTech Global has seen its stock price plummetfollowingfinancial, operational and legalissues. Any type of new facility, regardless of the technology, would require a longer construction and permitting timeframe. Click here for more NENC stories on waste and trash issues in New England. Over 99.9 percent of what comes out of our plants stack is what youd typically find in air - water vapor, nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide. For now, their ability to corner the market and charge hauling premiumsis held in check by waste-to-energy competition. The state has some composting facilities and one anaerobic digester, but multiple digesters remain permitted and unbuiltdue to what sources describe as a lack of reliable feedstock to attract financing.
Topics covered: recycling, landfills, collections, organics diversion, waste-to-energy, and much more. This effectively ends a final push by MIRA and the Sacyr Rooney Recovery Team (SRRT)to secure financial buy-in for a project initiated by a 2015 request for proposals from DEEP. Hb``f``e```lud8 B1:_aWp5)i\; Contact:Tonya King Former partner Entsorgasees a path forward for its shuttered showcase plant. Thats not an advantage for Hartford, its a disadvantage for everyone., Brendan Crowley covers energy and the environment for CT Examiner. Telephone: 860-885-3512, MIRA, like many incinerators around the country, is located in Hartford, an environmental justice community, with a majority of people of color and low income overburdened by numerous sources of pollution. The state legislature is not currently expected to weigh in during a special summer session. Bristol, CT 06010 Preston, CT 06365 While MIRA is continuing to work through an RFP process for the renovation and operation of its MRF (currently contracted with Republic Services into next year), much of the entity's future operational plans are up in the air. Its official. 0000008829 00000 n Click here for more NENC stories on waste and trash issues in New England, The Gulf of Maine has the most marine mammal diversity on the east coast, study finds, Want to smell in virtual reality? Weve had the opt-out for years, and weve only had a few customers find better alternatives.. Connecticuts leaders have been looking for a solution for the past several years, but one has not emerged. 0000053603 00000 n The agency is requesting MIRA submit a revised version of its FY21 operational plan by Sept. 15. The state refused to borrow money to help keep it going until a more environmentally friendly alternative could be found. MIRA is shutting down which means CT should have less ash but Wheelabrator Putnam is likely to get approval to expand to accommodate more ashpermanently impacting local wetlands, waterways and perhaps be a source of future pollution, including PFAS.