The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is moving forward with a permit that would allow medical waste to be incinerated at a Bristol facility. The move, which comes as a surprise to local residents, follows an unsuccessful attempt in 2021 to allow for biomedical waste to be burned at the facility. The effort was abandoned following pushback from residents and legislators.
A company named Reworld, formerly Covanta, currently operates an incinerator in Bristol and is seeking to have its existing permit modified to allow biomedical waste to be burned at the facility. Currently, the Bristol facility is permitted to process municipal solid waste and special waste, including processed construction and demolition wood.
The company submitted five applications, three for solid waste permitting and two for air permitting. The permits affecting solid waste are for the modification resource facility, for a new biomedical waste treatment facility, and for the renewal of a permit to operate a resources recovery facility.
The permits affecting air are for minor modifications to the incinerator to allow the firing of medical waste. Under state statute, biomedical waste requires special handling and must be disposed of by incineration. Reworld would receive and process up to 57 tons of biometric waste per day.
DEEP posted a public notice in the Bristol Press on July 5 and on its website on July 9 announcing that it had tentatively approved the five applications Reworld submitted. A 30-day public comment period is currently open before the agency takes final action on the permits.
According to the public notice, Reworld is proposing construction of a biomedical waste annex near the existing facility building and biomedical waste will be kept separate from other waste the plant processes until it enters the boilers.
According to the application Reworld submitted, it will look to accept nonhazardous biomedical waste, including waste that is “untreated waste generated during the administration of medical care or the performance of medical research involving humans or animals,” infectious waste, pathological waste, and chemotherapy waste.
The plant will not accept other biomedical waste materials that are not included in the state’s definition of biomedical waste, including human remains, human fetal tissue, and radioactive materials. The company’s application says it has implemented a quality control program for its biomedical waste customers to “minimize the likelihood of unacceptable waste being received.”
But Bristol residents, who opposed plans to incinerate the waste several years ago, are still against the move, which they argue will create air pollution. And some are skeptical of the timing of DEEP’s announcement that the permits will move forward.
“There was a lot of opposition, and then the issue went away.” Southington resident Francis Pickering told Inside Investigator in reference to plans from 2021 being abandoned after an outcry from the community and from legislators. “Everybody thought this had gone away, it was all quiet for years, until the Monday after a holiday weekend.”
Pickering referenced a number of issues residents have with Reworld’s plans to burn biomedical waste, including the age of the incinerator, which has been in operation since the 1980s, and an ongoing investigation by the Bristol Burlington Health Department into potential violation of noise regulations.
Pickering, who lives within a few miles of the plant, said it is generating a low-pitched hum that, because of its low frequency, cuts through everything.
Pickering also referenced what some have referred to as the state’s trash crisis. Since the Materials Innovation and Recycling Authority (MIRA) was dissolved in 2023, Connecticut has been shipping municipal trash out of state because it does not have the facilities to handle it.
There are currently no incineration facilities in the Northeast that dispose of biomedical waste, and if Reworld’s permit is approved, biomedical waste will be shipped into Connecticut from out of state.
“This will displace more of the waste we’re generating ourselves.” Pickering said. “We’ll export more waste to more areas of the country and instead will import more waste, which can include infectious materials and toxic materials.”
DEEP can conduct a public hearing on the pending applications if it receives the signatures of twenty-five people. Pickering says he has collected those signatures and will submit them to the agency shortly.
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We need some way to dispose of medical waste in CT. Exporting all of our waste is extremely expensive for CT residents and is leading to higher tax bills as much of the cost falls onto municipalities.
CT is not known for a relaxed environmental regulatory system. DEEP determined that this system is not harmful to the environment and approved it, that is a good thing. It would be bad if DEEP denied it simply because a few residents objected to the facility being proposed near them.
It’s not just a few residents. It’s all Bristol and surrounding towns like Southington. This company has been breaking laws for years and getting away with it. If there were no issues with burning medical waste every town would be doing it. Go educate yourself before making a comment.
Calling the plant in Bristol an incinerator is incorrect, it is a trash to energy plant. Burning MSW to create steam, which then operates a turbine. Generating 16.3 MW of electricity. They do not just burn trash…..
While emitting bio chemicals into our air. Sounds like a great way to produce electricity. Eversource is already killing us!
A solution to dispose of medical waste without any air/soil contamination risks is to think different (big news: incineration is not the only solution!) and adopt another medical waste management treatment : Ecosteryl ! 100% electric, based on microwave technology to disinfect infectious waste. Check out our website.
The sound is maddening. I work on Enterprise Drive, and it has been going every day for the past week.
This is extremely concerning, after reading about all the dangers, violations and community consequences it appears that a facility as such should not be placed near neighborhoods and day care facilities. It also appears that state and local agencies need to figure out if they are truly ready for emergency situations that could occur.
First of all if you believe that burning medical waist is safe. Then think of the constant noise, do you think that is good for your health. If the almighty dollar is all you care about how much is your property going to be worth when people learn what they’d be living near. If you’re wrong about it being safe it’s the people who live here who have to pay the dire consequences.
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to you in the hope that you can help us with the issues at hand. I live at 705 Lake Ave. for 3 years November. In that time, my wife and I have been dealing with Noise/Air Pollution that has impacted our quality of life. We, along with many others, borders Bristol Transfer Station and The Cavanta Plant now Reworld (wondering why they sold out?) is in our backyard so to speak. My unit is at the end directly across about 20 feet away from the stop sign entrance gate of the Transfer Station that opens from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm M-F, Sat 7:00 am to 1:30 pm. The noise begins with garbage trucks line up at the gate idling loud diesel engines with exhaust fumes until the gate opens around 7:15 am. I thought the noise ordinance for residential is 8:00 am to 10:00 pm? The Reworld Plant Is about ¼ mile away and when running still makes the noise of jet engine rumbling and humming that everyone is complaining about. We our downwind 90% of the time. The large clouds of smoke spewing out of the large concrete smokestacks and exhaust fans from the building below blow rite at us. I am aware of all the publicity pertaining to the noise and air pollution connected to the Plant. Some people who live in this community and surrounding area have moved because of these issues. But not all of us can afford to and should not be forced to move. I am retired after working 5 decades in manufacturing and engineering. This was our downsized move that was a big mistake. The noise and air pollution are so bad at times that it affects our health and wellbeing. The fowl smell that burns our eyes, nose with a nasty taste in our mouth, nauseous feeling finds its way into our heating/cooling system blows throughout the rooms. I have the system serviced every year to make sure it’s not on our end. The Technician stated the system is clean and has no issues that would cause this smell but noticed it when outside. I have never had raspatory infections and so many sleepless nights until moving here! Reworld supposedly investigated these matters and made some changes and said they are now in compliance. To this day, the noise and air pollution continue. The people in charge don’t live in the area because if they did, rest assured, big changes would be made! Now they are burning 57 tons of biohazardous waste a day! DEEP gave them the ok to do so. These types of processing plants were shut down over the years in other states and countries because of public health issues. It seems to be all about money and not a safe and healthy environment.
Thank you so very much for your time and hope and prayer for these issues to be resolved,
Gary Trocola
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