State OKs Waste Plant Burn Permit Despite Southington Opposition

SOUTHINGTON/BRISTOL, CT — Plans for a Bristol company's application to burn medical waste have been approved by the state, much to the chagrin of its neighbors in Southington.

New Jersey-based ReWorld Waste received preliminary approval last week from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to burn biomedical waste at its 170 Enterprise Drive plant in Bristol.

ReWorld is a waste management company that aims for more sustainable solutions for managing industrial and medical waste.

Part of that mission is to incinerate medical waste in Bristol, which is near the Southington border.

That raised the concern of the Southington Town Council last September, which sent a letter to DEEP opposing the move.

"Our town council is troubled by lhe significant risks that this proposal presents to public health and safety," reads the letter, which was signed by Republican Southington Town Council Chairman Paul Chaplinsky Jr. and Democratic Southington Town Council Minority Leader Christopher J. Palmieri.

"The incineration of biomedical waste is a process fraught with potential dangers. particularly due to the potential release of hazardous pollutants into the air we breathe."

The situation has caused similar alarm in Bristol, where an organization called Bristol Residents for Clean Air was formed to oppose the plan.

This week, state Rep. Rebecca Martinez, D-Plainville, weighed in on the situation, expressing displeasure at DEEP's ruling and also alluding to ongoing noise concerns as well.

Martinez represents the 22nd House District towns of Plainville, Farmington and a part of Southington.

“It was disappointing to see DEEP grant approval to ReWorld so they can burn untreated medical waste. I’ve heard repeated concerns from constituents regarding the noise pollution and toxicity the plant may emit, and it is worrying to see this plan approved while ReWorld still has unresolved noise violations by our local health department," she said in a statement this week.

"Everyone should feel at peace in their own home and not need to worry about the air their families are breathing or whether they will need headphones to sleep at night.

I am committed to working on this issue to get my constituents the results they deserve. I am working with my colleagues on the Environment Committee to pass legislation addressing this topic directly, and I am optimistic we can come to an agreement in the coming weeks,” Martinez continued.

Martinez said she has proposed two bills to address the public health and environmental concerns posed by the medical waste burning plan:

1. An Act Concerning the Regulation of Industrial Low Frequency Noise Pollution, establishes new noise standards, mandates continuous monitoring, and requires corrective action for those exceeding the standards. The bill also ensures state inspections upon complaint receipt.

2. The second bill, An Act Establishing a Moratorium on Permits to Burn Medical Waste, enacts a temporary moratorium on new permits for medical waste burning. During this time, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Department of Public Health will conduct comprehensive studies and develop new health and safety standards.

Both bills are currently before the Environment Committee.

Thursday afternoon, ReWorld announced it would start a one-year "Continuous Emissions Monitoring System" (CEMS) pilot program for mercury and hydrogen chloride at its Bristol site.

This initiative, officials said, will begin once the biomedical waste processing facility is established.

ReWorld said this is in response to public input during the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection permitting process and following input from Bristol officials.

“We are committed to environmental stewardship and working in partnership with local stakeholders to ensure continued safe and responsible operations in Bristol,” said Vincent Langone, Vice President, Reworld.

“This pilot program is a proactive step to demonstrate our confidence in our emission control systems. By voluntarily implementing continuous monitoring for mercury and hydrogen chloride, we are reinforcing our dedication to exceeding regulatory standards and ensuring the Bristol community has access to real-time data about our facility’s operations."