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City shares update from ReWorld and health district as residents press for faster noise fixes
Summary
Council members and residents discussed ongoing low‑frequency noise complaints from the ReWorld (formerly Covanta) waste‑to‑energy facility; Bristol Burlington Health District and ReWorld reported engineering tests and retrofit steps but residents said mitigation remains insufficient.
Residents and council members pressed the City of Bristol on noise and alleged ongoing violations at the ReWorld waste‑to‑energy facility during public participation and old business at the Feb. 11 City Council meeting.
Diane Kosas, a resident who addressed the council during public participation, said she and other neighbors have continued to experience “relentless, piercing, low frequency noise” from the plant and urged the council to send a letter supporting enforcement actions. The mayor and council members said they have shared constituents’ concerns with the Bristol Burlington Health District (BBHD) and that the district has primary enforcement authority for the plant’s public‑health matters.
Cheryl (city council member) summarized a multi‑page update the council received from ReWorld and BBHD and said the companies and consultants are pursuing several engineering and acoustic tests. According to the memo read into the record, ReWorld voluntarily removed one boiler from service to permit a motor replacement and installed QFT inserts in ID fans during 2024. Post‑retrofit noise surveys showed some reductions but not enough to meet the desired targets; ReWorld ordered modified inserts and performed further installations during December 2024, with limited success. The company plans additional research and development testing of flue‑gas flow in February 2025 and an annual planned maintenance outage in March 2025, during which ReWorld expects to replace a spray dryer absorber vessel for Unit 2 and related ductwork and to change the ID fan inlet transition piece.
Cheryl said the company and BBHD have also shared sound clips, engaged acoustical engineers on both sides, and are iterating on solutions that require taking equipment offline for testing. She told the council the planned March outage is an opportunity to implement changes that could reduce the stack‑related noise. She added that BBHD has pursued enforcement actions where applicable; attorney involvement was reported as part of the district’s work.
Resident speakers pressed for more direct action. Diane Kosas said she felt abandoned by local officials and asked explicitly whether council members supported enforcement; the mayor said the council had pressed the state and testified previously and reiterated the city’s support for efforts to ensure compliance. Another council member noted that some technical sources point to multiple possible noise sources — turbines, fans and airflow in ducts — and recommended relying on the acoustical engineers’ findings.
The council agreed to post the ReWorld/BBHD memo and continue to monitor progress. Council members encouraged residents to provide further evidence and said BBHD remains the primary enforcement body for environmental and health violations tied to the facility.
