The legislative Government Administration & Elections Committee just approved a bill that would blow up the troubled Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority, the quasi-public regional trash agency, cut the 75 employees down to 45 and change its name to the Materials Innovation & Recycling Authority. The bill heads to the Senate.
It’s part of the long-term strategy to have 60 percent of the state’s solid waste recycled by 2024. Currently 25 perent is recycled, but 80 percent could be, said Sen. Ed Meyer, D-Guilford a GAE committee member who is also co-chairman of the Environment Committee. He said the state can make $10 million a year on recycled items that in the past would go into regional burn plants.
“This recreates the CRRA to a more lean, modern agency,” Meyer told the panel. “I think it’s going to be a good economic help to Connecticut. It has not always been very accountable to the towns or the Legislature,” he said, stressing that the new agency would not have the power to put incinerated ash into landfills. That authority would revert to member towns and cities. “CRRA is not a popular vehicle in Connecticut,” Meyer said in response to inquiries from committee members including Sen. Michael McLachlan, R-Danbury and Rep. Tony Hwang, R-Fairfield.