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Northwest Hills towns press COG to weigh in as Torrington transfer-station review nears
Summary
Council members discussed creating a regional waste authority and acquiring the Torrington Transfer Station, flagged a Phase I environmental report due Sept. 20, and agreed the COG has retained counsel to pursue options — members disagreed about whether to jump straight to more extensive site testing.
Council members spent a large portion of their Sept. 12 meeting discussing municipal solid-waste planning tied to the Torrington Transfer Station and the possible creation of a regional waste authority.
Rob (COG staff) told members the COG has retained legal counsel to advise on an RWA and the transfer-station purchase and that a Phase I environmental site assessment draft is expected Sept. 20. "If it's clean, we're in good shape. If it's not, we'll have to see where that leads us," Rob said, summarizing the significance of the report to the region's options.
Several members pushed for urgency. Todd argued the project should move quickly to more extensive testing, saying a Phase I would be a waste of time and recommending immediate Phase II or III work because of known contamination on neighboring properties. Paul and others warned the region faces tight timelines: if MIRA removes tip-rate stabilizations in its FY26 budget, municipal disposal costs could spike sharply. Paul told the council he feared tip fees approaching $180–$200 per ton would be unaffordable for many towns.
Rista said short-term operation and acquisition appear feasible and that MIRA will provide environmental information to the COG. She emphasized the Phase I is due from MIRA (not paid for by the COG) and that further phases would follow only if Phase I findings warrant them. Members also noted MIRA has reserve funds (which some estimated at roughly $50 million) that could be designated for remediation, but they said unlocking those funds could become contested with other municipalities.
Next steps the council recorded were to continue legal review, monitor the Phase I results when published, convene an MSW subcommittee as needed, and encourage member towns to stay engaged. The chair asked affected towns to send representatives to upcoming MIRA and related meetings and Rob said he would circulate a doodle poll to identify who could attend the Sept. 20 report discussion.
