Putnam, Connecticut, approves Wheelabrator expansion

The Putnam, Connecticut, Zoning Commission has approved amendments to a special permit that will allow Wheelabrator Technologies, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to expand its ash landfill southwards by 17 million cubic yards over the next 25 years, reports The Bulletin.

“We’re very pleased with the commission’s decision tonight. Our application contained a lot of information that is largely unique to our facility and we appreciate that it’s not a routine task for the commission members,” Don Musial, the general manager for the facility, said.

The expansion is in line with a ground lease agreement between Putnam and the company that was approved at a 2015 town meeting.

But when the expansion plan was publicly aired last year, it was met with opposition from nearby residents, who worried about potential pollution and the impact to the quality of life in the neighborhood.

However, residents have now withdrawn their opposition after Wheelabrator has made several concessions, including a 700-foot visual screen along River Road made of up berms, stone walls, and vegetation. Wheelabrator has also pledged to realign an entrance road from River Road, build a walking path around Carpenter Pond, and set aside 48 acres for conservation on the north end of the facility.

The landfill takes ash from trash incinerators around the state, which is deposited into a liner that is sealed as the facility fills up. Water that comes into contact with the ash, such as rainwater, is collected and sent to a wastewater treatment plant.

Wheelabrator has run the facility since 1999. As part of its ground lease agreement with the town, the company pays host fees. Since its opening, Wheelebrator has contributed a total of $50 million to the town in fees, other financial benefits, and donations, Musial said.

Musial told The Bulletin that the town can expect an additional $100 million over the next 25 years as the expansion moves forward.

Earlier this summer, Wheelabrator got a green light from the Putnam Inland Wetlands Commission for its plan to replicate wetlands that will be affected by the expansion. Wheelabrator is still waiting for final approvals from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and four divisions with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Those are expected to be done by early 2021.

Then Wheelabrator can begin construction on the next phases of the landfill, which will become operational in 2022.