State hearing on Reworld Bristol noise dispute spotlights resident complaints and $34,750 invoice

A hearing officer for the Connecticut Department of Public Health on July 8 heard competing evidence about whether Reworld Bristol Inc. (formerly Covanta) violated state nuisance and noise rules at its 170 Enterprise Drive facility in Bristol, and whether the Bristol Burlington Health District properly issued a notice of violation and a $34,750 invoice covering Oct. 13, 2024, through Feb. 28, 2025.

The case centers on low-frequency “humming” complaints from area residents and how acoustical testing should be timed and weighted. Aidan Baum, hearing officer for the Connecticut Department of Public Health, presided over the virtual proceeding and said he would evaluate the record and issue a written decision after the parties presented evidence and argument.

Marco Palmeri, director of the Bristol Burlington Health District, told the hearing the district began receiving complaints in late 2023 and later retained acoustical consultants after staff and academic contacts could not independently resolve the issue. “We received dozens and dozens of complaints,” Palmeri said, describing residents who reported a low-frequency humming that affected sleep and daily life. The district’s consultants, Palmeri said, consistently found noncompliance during sampled test events and the district issued an initial notice of…