During their useful life, MIRA’s generators produced almost 500 million kilowatt hours of electricity a year.
Don’t Let It Go To Waste
Municipalities bring ideas to waste management that can’t be ignored
W
aste management for many years was a sure and obvious thing. Waste went to landfills, and there it stayed. With the introduction of recycling and waste-to-energy plants, things began to change. Even these methods have grown outdated, and Connecticut, once a leader in solid waste management and recycling, has fallen woefully behind. The State must bring innovative ideas and fiscally responsible, environmentally sustainable solutions to reduce the flow of waste and manage its disposal. With the imminent closure of the Materials Innovation Recycling Authority (MIRA) plant, dozens of towns and cities are being forced to reckon with paying exorbitant tipping fees and unsustainable practices like shipping waste to out-of-state landfills. During its useful life, MIRA facilitated the incineration of trash, which created energy for more than three decades. Today, 80% of the member towns (by tonnage) have now opted out of their services – with no great alternatives. CCM is in the position to say that we do not believe we can continue to call on MIRA to develop all the forward-looking solutions called for here. We believe the state must take the lead on the remediation of this site after the closure of this plant so that this 100-acres doesn’t remain a desolate space with no economic activity. 10 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | MAY 2022
And we need the same kind of forward-thinking that made Connecticut a leader in this market in the first place. A new waste-to-energy plant can be created, and now so many years after the MIRA plant was built, there must be more energy efficient technologies that are more in line with modern, sustainable practices. If the state alone cannot provide these alternatives, then this area is ripe for a public/private partnership. Construction and supply chain delays have plagued all manner of projects, and with the projected closure of MIRA, this will leave a gap in service for municipalities to find alternatives. That is why it is imperative that the state act as soon as possible on an RFP. Similarly, we need to make sure that this is a viable solution for municipalities. With tipping fees rising in all areas, we must look to innovative solutions that are competitive with the cost of shipping material out-ofstate. We need to restrict shipping out-of-state and creating new landfills, which is environmentally unfriendly. Towns and cities around the state are innovating in waste diversion efforts – composting, reuse programs, pay as you throw, and more. We need greater State support and leadership to help. As with so many environmental efforts, we need to work on solutions now, rather than trying to fix problems caused by inaction later. That is why we are calling on the state to help ensure a cleaner, greener municipal solid waste system.
