Reworld says engineering changes and repeated tests put Bristol waste‑to‑energy plant within Connecticut noise limits

Reworld, the company that operates the Bristol waste‑to‑energy facility (renamed from Covanta in 2024), told a Connecticut public hearing that it has made a series of engineering modifications and commissioned multiple noise studies after residents complained of an intermittent low‑frequency “pulsing” sound.

The company representative known in the hearing transcript as Mr. Drew described how the plant converts municipal solid waste into steam and electricity and outlined steps taken since the first health‑district contact in October 2023. "So they sustainably manage waste. Waste that otherwise would have went to a landfill," Mr. Drew said, explaining the plant's process for combustion, steam generation and metal recovery. He said the plant handles about "220,000 tons per year" and receives roughly "200" truck deliveries a day.

Why it matters: Residents told the Bristol health district they were hearing a low‑frequency tone and a rhythmic pulsing. Those complaints triggered state and city noise‑limit reviews; the outcome affects whether the facility must undertake further engineering changes or operational restrictions to meet Connecticut's noise regulations.

Reworld told the hearing it first hired NCE to perform a diagnostic noise study in December 2023 and later paid for additional engineering work, including matching induced‑draft (ID) fan motors and designing acoustic inserts. Mr. Drew said the company replaced one ID‑fan motor in February 2024,…