Simsbury committee hears concerns about single trash vendor spill, transfer station options and bears complicating composting

During open forum, committee members raised operational and environmental issues affecting waste strategy. One member reported that the town’s single trash vendor “spilled about, 200 gallons of, hydraulic fluid in our neighborhood late last summer” and said cleanup had been underway; committee members asked staff to follow up on options for alternate removal or transfer‑station drop‑off as a potential mitigation to a single‑vendor monopoly.

Members discussed practical constraints for composting and organics collection in Simsbury, noting frequent bear visits in some neighborhoods and that bear‑resistant solutions would need to be part of any organics program. The committee suggested the waste working group consider these local wildlife interactions when drafting guidance on organics collection and public outreach.

Committee members volunteered to help explore options and asked town staff to report on the status of cleanup and on feasibility of creating alternative drop‑off pathways for residents. No formal policy or contract action was taken during the meeting; the matter was discussed as part of waste plan development and working group recruitment.