The Northwest Resource Recovery Authority continues to meet frequently as the July 1 deadline for assuming control of the Torrington transfer hub nears.
First Selectman Henry Tirrell said the loss of Torrington, the largest municipality in the newly formed NRRA, won’t affect short-term operation. Torrington, expressing doubts about the ability of the NRRA to operate the transfer station, opted to sign a 10-year contract with USA Waste and Recycling.
“We’re working toward a plan to have the Torrington site in operation for a year and figure out if it is feasible. We hope to take the first six to 12 months to create a long-range game plan,” he said.
But there is a catch-22 in the NRRA’s work. The operator of the transfer station needs a volume of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) to make the business profitable, but because towns pay tipping fees based on the tonnage they transport, local municipalities work to encourage recycling and reduce tonnage.
“It’s a strange game,” Tirrell observed.
At present, there are six towns in the NRRA, nominally including Torrington. There are 21 towns in the Northwest Hills Council of Governments, which helped originate the NRRA. It is still unclear how many of those municipalities might join.
Even with the setback of losing Torrington’s MSW, tipping fees will be lower this year than they would have been had the state continued to operate it. Fees under the MIRA Dissolution Authority were supposed to be $141 a ton for MSW and no charge for recycling. The NRRA will drop tipping fees to $121 per ton and $12 for recycling.
The State Property Review Board has yet to transfer ownership of the Torrington transfer station to the NRRA. When that process is complete, the NRRA can accept a $500,000 state grant to help with initial operations.