FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Thomas D. Kirk, President
Materials Innovation and Recycling Authority
Phone: 860-757-7777
Email: tkirk@ctmira.org

On November 26, 2019, the Board of Directors of the Materials Innovation and Recycling Authority
(“MIRA”) authorized the execution of a Term Sheet setting forth required conditions and actions for the
redevelopment of MIRA’s trash-to-energy and recycling facilities located in Hartford’s South Meadows.
In 2014, the Connecticut legislature passed, and the governor signed, Public Act 14-94, calling for the
Commissioner of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (“DEEP”) to issue a Request
for Proposals (“RFP”) for capital improvements to, and the redevelopment of, the trash-to-energy
facility. The facility was put into service over thirty (30) years ago and this is the first major initiative to
improve the plant and its operations. The DEEP RFP and the requested improvements, which were
undertaken in consultation with MIRA, are intended to preserve the State’s commitment to
environmentally-preferred resource recovery facilities, helping to minimize out-of-state landfilling . In
addition, the improvements to all the waste processing facilities will go a long way toward achieving the
State’s goal of removing 60% of recyclables from the waste stream by 2024.
In January 2018, DEEP selected Sacyr Rooney Recovery Team, LLC, (“SRRT”), which is a partnership
between Sacyr from Spain and Rooney Holdings from the US. This team brings experience in building
and operating dozens of waste to energy and recovery facilities. DEEP thereafter directed MIRA to enter
into negotiations with SRRT for the facility improvements. MIRA has been working with SRRT to develop
a final proposal that meets the requirements of Public Act 14-94, while meeting MIRA’s statutory
obligation of overall supervision and control over private sector contractors. The proposed
redevelopment project provides for thirty years of firm, net-cost-of-operation solid waste disposal and
recycling for one-third of the State’s waste, and will be presented to municipalities for their
consideration. If a sufficient number of municipalities express interest in participating in the
redeveloped project, and commit a sufficient quantity of waste for thirty years, MIRA and SRRT will
proceed next year to negotiate a comprehensive development agreement. The renewed project would
include state-of-the-art pollution control, guaranteed reliability, and an enhanced PILOT (Payment in
Lieu of Taxes) for its host city, Hartford.
MIRA Chairman and Barkhamsted First Selectman, Don Stein, said, “Reaching this milestone of Term
Sheet completion was a long and difficult process. We are pleased with the progress made to-date, and
note that our customer towns expect and deserve a project that not only provides an in-state solution,
but is economically attractive and reliable over the long term. As a result, given a public project of this
size, marketplace and economic challenges certainly exist as we seek a long term disposal and recycling
solution for a third of the State’s municipal solid waste. The Board is committed to developing and

 pursuing opportunities for financial support that will allow MIRA to support the State’s self-sufficiency
and leadership in waste management for the next several decades.”
The Board also re-affirmed its commitment to its participating municipalities, and looks forward to
engaging all stakeholders, including the Governor’s office, DEEP, and the Connecticut General Assembly,
in its efforts to develop the proposed redevelopment and to avoid less environmentally sound
approaches for solid waste disposal.