The Southeast Project utilizes a 690-tons-per-day mass-burn trash-to-energy facility located in Preston. Mass-burn means that there is no front-end separation of recyclable metal or non-combustible material from what is delivered as waste to the facility. Unlike the RDF technology used at the Mid-Connecticut Project, trash is delivered and burned with no processing.

The waste-to-energy plant, located at 124 Military Highway, Preston, is operated by Covanta Energy. Ash residue from the plant is trucked to Wheelabrator’s ash landfill in Putnam.

The Southeast Project trash-to-energy facility easily exceeds the strictest emissions standards. Click Emissions Performance > Southeast Project to view the test results.

The Southeast Project provides solid waste disposal and recycling services to municipalities in eastern and southeastern Connecticut.

Fiscal year 2010 disposal fees for trash at the Southeast Project have been held at 2009’s $60 per ton rate. This fee, which has dropped in recent years, is a reflection of the Southeast Project’s sustained growth and fiscal success.

This Project’s fiscal turnaround is a tribute to the regional cooperation among the member towns, their Southeastern Connecticut Regional Resources Recovery Authority (SCRRRA) representatives, and CRRA.  Our joint strategy consisted of refinancing project debt, favorably settling long-term litigation over the Project’s energy contract, and closing the Project’s costly ash landfill.