Covanta Extends Partnership with Southeastern Connecticut Communities for Sustainable Waste Disposal

Covanta, has announced a new agreement with the Southeastern Connecticut Regional Resource Recovery Authority (SCRRRA) for sustainable waste disposal at the Southeastern Connecticut Resource Recovery Facility (SECONN) located in Preston, CT. The new four year agreement will extend the decades-long partnership between Covanta and SCRRRA until December 2020.

SCRRRA was created to implement solutions for solid waste, recyclables, household hazardous waste and additional waste materials for 12 municipalities in Southeastern Connecticut including East Lyme, Griswold, Groton, Ledyard, Montville, New London, North Stonington, Norwich, Preston, Sprague, Stonington and Waterford.

Since 1991, Covanta SECONN has provided reliable and sustainable waste management to municipalities across Southeastern Connecticut. The Energy-from-Waste facility processes 689 tons of post-recycled municipal solid waste daily into 18 megawatts of clean, renewable energy, enough to power approximately 15,000 homes continuously. The facility also recycles more than 9,000 tons of metal annually.

“SCRRRA is happy to continue our successful partnership with Covanta,” said John Phetteplace, SCRRRA president. “For more than two-decades, Covanta SECONN has provided our communities with a sustainable alternative to landfilling while also generating a significant amount of electricity for area homes.”

Energy-from-Waste facilities such as Covanta SECONN provide a sustainable and safe alternative to landfills, recycle metal and reduce greenhouse gasses. During its 26 years of operation, the facility has:

• Saved over 50 acres of land from landfilling;
• Reduced net greenhouse gas emissions by over five million tons, the equivalent of removing nearly one million passenger vehicles from the road for one year;
• Recovered 88,000 tons of metals for recycling, equivalent to the steel used to build two Gold Star Memorial Bridges (New London, CT);
• Generated 3,800,000 megawatt-hours of electricity, the equivalent of powering over 330,000 homes for one year.

 “The 12 communities that SCRRRA and SECONN serve have developed a first-rate reliable and environmentally-sound waste management system,” said Thomas Lyons, vice president and general manager of Covanta’s New England region. “Covanta is proud of our role in contributing to the success of this system and providing a local source of clean, renewable energy. We are pleased to continue to serve the communities of Southeastern Connecticut with the reliable service they have come to expect over the past 26 years.”

Covanta SECONN has been designated a Voluntary Protection Program Star facility by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for workplace safety excellence and has an outstanding safety record with over 15 years injury-free.  Covanta SECONN also received the State of Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s Green Circle Award in 2014 for promoting pollution prevention, waste reduction, natural resource conservation and environmental awareness.