Plainfield, Connecticut, is confronting a proposal to build an 81-acre trash "gasification" incinerator near the town center, and the plan has become a flashpoint for residents, according to the Hartford Courant.
For people who say their community has already absorbed years of large-scale warehouse and distribution development, the project represents another industrial expansion they do not want, with concerns centered on added truck traffic, pollution, and disruptions to daily life.
What's happening?
In July, residents and local officials rolled out the website plainfieldtrashplant.org to organize opposition to Smart Technologies' proposed facility.
The website launch came after a town referendum in which 1,148 votes were cast against the project and 125 in favor.
Smart Technologies — a partnership of O&G Industries and Advanced Waste Technologies International — says the facility would help Connecticut process more of its waste in-state while generating energy by converting it into gas and burning it into the air. As the website describes it, "Gasification is distinct from mass-burn incineration: it makes a synthesis gas from prepared waste, and the proposed system would then combust that gas to make electricity. Regulatory treatment depends on the process, feedstock and jurisdiction."
If the Connecticut Siting Council and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection approve it, the plant would be built near Route 12 and Route 14 and would handle nearly 470,000 tons of trash each year, according to the Hartford Courant.
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Opponents, however, say the promised benefits do not outweigh the risks.
"A plant that takes in more than 1,800 tons of waste a day is fed almost entirely by heavy trucks, and heavy trucks are the quality-of-life problem residents raise most," the website argues.
"Residents and both (political) town committees estimate over 100 (more) garbage trucks a day, but no state traffic study has been filed," it read in part.
Why does it matter?
Plainfield has long hosted a Lowe's distribution center, and additional development has added to the strain.
As the Hartford Courant noted, Amazon opened a 202,000-square-foot distribution center where a former greyhound racetrack once stood.
Uline has been preparing to open a 1.2-million-square-foot warehouse, while Costco has pursued permits for an order fulfillment center.
Beyond traffic, critics say the plant could bring odors, industrial noise, groundwater contamination, and air pollution.
The debate is unfolding as Connecticut faces a significant waste problem.
Smart Technologies says the state must export a large share of its trash because its existing facilities are aging and its active landfills have stopped taking municipal solid waste.
"While still permitted, the state's 16 active landfills are no longer receiving municipal solid waste for disposal. As a result, Connecticut is forced to export a large percentage out-of-state," Smart Technologies said.
What's being done?
Those opposing the project are trying to act before formal approvals begin.
The new website explains how the state review process may play out and emphasizes that the town itself does not have the final say.
The website advises opponents on how to take action.
"Contact the state directly. Submit a written comment to CT DEEP during its 30-day comment period, help file a 25-signature petition to request a hearing, and — once a Siting Council application is filed — request party status," it stated.
Across town, lawn signs against the facility have appeared, and an online petition has collected more than 700 signatures.
First Selectman Kevin Cunningham has also encouraged residents to familiarize themselves with the proposal before formal reviews begin.
Opponents remain focused on what they see as the immediate local cost, warning that "heavy trucks are the quality-of-life problem residents raise most."
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