Connecticut

Connecticut has a tire dumping problem. Will a new plan solve it?

Published

1 year ago

May 25, 2023

Connecticut has a tire dumping problem. Will a new plan solve it?

Legislation prompted by the illegal dumping of tires in Connecticut passed the House of Representatives on Wednesday, despite concerns the bill would do too little to address a problem endemic to both cities and little-traveled rural lanes.

House Bill 6486 would require manufacturers of tires sold in Connecticut to join or create a state-supervised industry stewardship program responsible for collecting and recycling used or discarded tires.

It also would require the Department of Transportation to test more widely the utilization of tire-derived asphalt on state highways, an effort to broaden the limited market for recycled tires, other than burning them as fuel.

Currently, consumers pay a $5 fee to discard tires when purchasing replacements. About 75% of the 3.1 million tires annually discarded in Connecticut are shipped to a plant in Maine, where they are burned to generate electricity.

The bill passed on a 101-43 vote, with every Democrat and nine Republicans in support. It now goes to the Senate.

Opponents said the program would be largely duplicative of current industry efforts that now collect most discarded tires, but supporters say the lack of oversight allows too many tires to end up in illegal dumps.

“It’s accountability, that’s what you’re getting” in the bill, said Rep. Mary Mushinsky, D-Wallingford, who helped initiate the current program. “Right now, tires continue to leak out of the system.”

The bill would require the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to audit the stewardship program, at a minimum of least once every three years and a maximum of every year.

The program would be the latest in a series of extended producer responsibility, or EPR, efforts. The state already has EPR programs for propane tanks, paints and mattresses, all products that cannot be easily recycled or safely thrown away.

“My inclination is that an EPR program is a big government solution to a problem that the private sector should be dealing with. Is it dealing with it? I don’t know,” said Rep. Doug Dubitsky, R-Chaplin.

As an alternative, House Republican leaders offered an amendment that would have created a licensing program for tire haulers, including a requirement for documentation showing where and how they were disposed. It failed on a party-line vote.

Dubitsky said the industry claims 95% of the tires sold in Connecticut are recycled, admittedly mostly as fuel, but that still leaves tens of thousands that go unaccounted.

He praised the provision that nudged the DOT to widen its test of rubberized asphalt from secondary to primary roads, saying that the best solution for the disposal of used tires would be creating a market for their reuse.

Rep. Joe Gresko, D-Stratford, co-chair of the Environment Committee, said the product has proved to be reliable.

“The use of tire-derived asphalt is common in the rest of our country, especially out west,” Gresko said. “It provides a secondary market for the shredded tires. As far as the road being paved, it is a quieter ride. It is easier on your now-newer tires.”

Rep. Mike Demicco, D-Farmington, a member of the Environment Committee, challenged Gresko to explain why the bill was amended on the floor to strike a provision that would have prohibited the shipment of shredded tires from Connecticut to Maine for incineration.

“It was relayed to me that prohibiting the shipping of these shredded discarded tires from Connecticut to Maine to be burned would violate the interstate Commerce Clause,” Gresko said.

Some proponents of the bill acknowledged its limits, calling it a step forward, not a solution to illegal dumping. At least for now, Rep. Geraldo Reyes, D-Waterbury, said he would settle for the measure.

“Just yesterday, in a one-quarter block, we took 50 tires off the street,” Reyes said. “People know and will find the isolated places.”

Mushinsky, a long-time environmentalist who was elected to the House 43 years ago, complained that the tires she hauls out of rivers in periodic cleanups are numerous and heavy, often clogged with mud.

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Connecticut

Major Retailer Closing All Connecticut Locations: CT News

Published

7 hours ago

July 2, 2024

Press Room

Major Retailer Closing All Connecticut Locations: CT News

Patch PM CT brings you the breaking and trending news stories from all across Connecticut each weeknight. Here are those stories:

Gift cards and merchandise credits will be honored through close of business on July 14, according to the announcement. All sales are final during the store closing sale and no returns will be accepted, officials said.>>>Read More.

The diner, which has been an institution in town for 50 years, may be closing as plans for a new use are pending before the land-use boards.>>>Read More.

State police said in a report that the teens appeared to have been “slow rolling” on the highway before racing.>>>Read More.

The monkey, which cannot legally be owned in Connecticut, was captured with the help of its owner and relocated, reports say.>>>Read More.

Police said a man accused of sexually assaulting a 4-year-old child was arrested.>>>Read More.

Dr. Dwayne Smith, SCSU interim president, was among the 100 to receive the prestigious honor by the NAACP Connecticut State Conference.>>>Read More.

Other top stories:

The Patch community platform serves communities all across Connecticut in Fairfield, New Haven, Middlesex, New London, Hartford, Tolland, and Litchfield counties. Thank you for reading.

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Connecticut

CT governor announces Matt Brokman as new chief of staff

Published

14 hours ago

July 2, 2024

Press Room

CT governor announces Matt Brokman as new chief of staff

Gov. Ned Lamont announced a new key player in his administration Tuesday.

Matt Brokman, a senior advisor to the governor since January 2023, will take on the role as Lamont’s chief of staff, effective immediately.

Brokman, previously chief of staff for House Majority Leader Jason Rojas and former Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz, has also worked in the Connecticut House Democrats Office.

“I think people in this building on both sides of the aisle know him,” Lamont said of Brokman. “They know they can take him at his word, and I think that’s going to be incredibly valuable for us as a state going forward for the next two years.”

With the next regular legislative session about six months away, crafting Connecticut’s next biennium budget is at the forefront. Lamont has said the next budget cycle could be “complicated,” with the state required to spend the last of American Rescue Plan Act funds by the end of 2026.

Brokman replaces Jonathan Dach, who stepped away as Lamont’s chief of staff after a year and a half in the role, citing a move to New York.

Speaking Tuesday, Lamont praised Dach’s work in the “round the clock” chief of staff job, and in various other positions in his administration over the last six years.

Dach said he will continue working with the governor in a senior advisory role on policy projects, such as energy supply, higher education and housing.

The next regular legislative session runs from early January to June 2025

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Connecticut

Bob’s to close all 10 CT locations

Published

21 hours ago

July 2, 2024

Press Room

(WFSB) – A clothing store announced the eventual closure of all of its Connecticut locations.

Bob’s Stores said on Monday that as part of a chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring plan, all of its locations, including the 10 in Connecticut, will close.

Hilco Merchant Resources in a joint venture with Gordon Brothers will manage an inventory liquidation event that will include all Bob’s Stores throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island.

The business said that as part of the liquidation, there has been “unprecedented discounts” on a wide range of workwear, footwear, team wear, and everyday clothing. The “going out of business sale” started on June 28 with discounts that ranged from 30 to 70 percent off.

Select store fixtures, furniture, and equipment were also available for sale.

“We regret that our financial position necessitated the liquidation of Bob’s Stores,” said Dave Barton, president of Bob’s Stores. “Bob’s has been a stalwart of our local communities for nearly 70 years, and we know our customers remember us as having been there for major moments in their lives. We remain grateful to our vendors, suppliers, customers and employees for all of their support over the years.”

The business said gift cards and merchandise credits would be honored through close of business on July 14.

It also said all sales are final. No returns will be accepted. Exchanges will be accepted in accordance with the company’s existing policies through the close of business on July 14. No exchanges for purchases made after that date will be accepted.

Here are the 10 Bob’s locations in Connecticut: