Remember that nagging noise bothering residents in Bristol and beyond?
Our NBC CT Responds team was the first to report this story and listen to local frustrations.
This week we’ve learned that local health officials have taken action.
The Bristol-Burlington Health District said it has served the company Reworld with notices of violation and an order to reduce its noise levels “to meet state standards and to mitigate the public nuisance.”
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Kevin Ainsworth, a lawyer for the district, said both sides had been in discussions after the district pushed the company to address noise concerns three months ago.
But the district wasn’t satisfied with the results.
Reworld, formerly known as Covanta, turns waste into energy at its Bristol facility.
NBC CT Responds
At the start of the year, residents who live near the plant began reaching out to NBC CT Responds about what they describe as a frequent and frustrating sound coming from the plant.
Local officials were investigating complaints, too.
An independent noise expert hired by the company, then Covanta, reported that the “unusual noise” may be coming from two induced draft fans.
The health district said Reworld has already appealed its order to reduce noise levels.
NBC Connecticut has reached out to the company for a comment.
In the meantime, the local health district said it stands by the research completed by its consultant and, “believes Reworld should focus their efforts on exploring ways to reduce the noise levels as opposed to spending the time and money to dispute an issue they already admitted creating.”
Ainsworth explained that since Reworld appealed, both sides will present their arguments in front of a hearing officer through the Department of Public Health.
Read the full statement from Bristol-Burlington Health District's lawyer, Keith Ainsworth, below:
"As a result of our investigation and the findings of its acoustical engineering consultant, the BBHD served ReWorld with a Notice of Violation (actually two notices) and an Order to reduce their noise levels to meet state standards and to mitigate the public nuisance. Unfortunately, we were notified yesterday that ReWorld appealed our Order, claiming they have not generated noise that travels beyond their boundaries that violates “any applicable regulation or ordinance." This appeal process will present additional and unnecessary expenses to already burdened taxpayers. The BBHD stands by the results of its consultant and believes ReWorld should focus their efforts on exploring ways to reduce the noise levels as opposed to spending the time and money to dispute an issue they already admitted creating."
