Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice protest at the Hartford landfillThe Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice and community activists lead a protest Tuesday outside the entrance to the Hartford landfill, which is run by the Connecticut Resource Recovery Authority.The group carried a casket that they said represented the city of Hartford and covered it with trash bags labeled with the names of the 70 cities and towns that bring their trash to the Capitol city’s landfill.
Dr. Mark Mitchell and neighborhood activistsDr. Mark Mitchell said the landfill was supposed to close in 2006 and now CRRA wants to haul in an additional 250,000 tons of trash. But CRRA’s board of directors voted this April not to increase the height of the landfill. CRRA spokesman Paul Nonnenmacher said Tuesday that previously the board had never set a closure date. Mitchell said it may not be increasing the height or the footprint of the landfill, but it’s increasing the girth, which in his opinion was unacceptable. Nonnenmacher said the landfill has settled and created enough room for it to remain open until 2008. 
Christine Stuart photo
Mitchell said his group was also opposed to the expansion of the recycling center off Murphy Road. He said the trucks waiting to dump off the recyclables are emitting dangerous diesel emissions and polluting the air. While Mitchell said he’s not opposed to recycling he’d like to see CRRA increase recycling in Hartford, it’s host community. He said only 7 percent of Hartford residents recycle, in part because the landlords who own many of the rental units in the city have to pay private haulers extra to recycle. Mitchell said CRRA is not charging extra to recycle, the haulers are charging extra to remove the materials from the properties. Click here to read about the expansion of the recycling facility.“CRRA should become part of the solution,” Mitchell said. “We will continue to oppose every expansion by CRRA until they become good neighbors and negotiate in good faith with Hartford and its residents,” he added. Click here to read CRRA’s plan for closing the Hartford landfill. 
Hartford landfill entrance
