Connecticut approves $750K for improvements at capped landfills

Connecticut's state bond commission has approved $750,000 for capital improvements at five regional capped and closed landfill sites, which were previously operated by Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority.

The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), which oversees the sites, says the majority of the cleanup projects are related to physical repairs while a “small portion” of the funds will be used for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination, including designing and installing drinking water treatment systems for residences affected by PFAS near the former Ellington landfill and evaluating the feasibility of groundwater treatment at the former Hartford landfill, including treatment for PFAS, says Kristina Rozek, director of communications for DEEP.

Gov. Ned Lamont established the state’s PFAS task force last year and released a PFAS Action Plan. One of the key recommendations from the task force, led by the Department of Public Health (DPH) and DEEP, is to test drinking water for PFAS. DEEP is also in the midst of a lawsuit with Connecticut’s Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) over PFAS contamination in groundwater from the closed Hartford landfill.

The capital improvement projects include:

• Repairs to the methane gas flare system; provision of bottled water; and designing and installing drinking water treatment systems for residences affected by PFAS near the former Ellington landfill
• Repairs to the groundwater control pumping system, methane gas wellheads and landfill cap; remediation of erosion due to aging stormwater control systems; repair or replacement of leachate collection tank; and groundwater treatment evaluation at the former Hartford landfill
• Landfill cap and liner repairs and slope stabilization at the former Shelton landfill