Accessible version
Plain-text transcript preview
Generated by layout-aware native PDF text extraction; 4 image-only or blank pages remain available in the PDF. Tables, maps, columns, and symbols may not translate perfectly.
[Page 1]
Lee D. Hoffman
90 State House Square
Hartford, CT 06103-3702
p 860 424 4315
f 860 424 4370
[email protected]
www.pullcom.com
June 6, 2025
VIA ELECTRONIC FILING
Edith Pestana
Program Administrator
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
79 Elm Street
Hartford, CT 06106
Re: SMART Technology Systems, LLC Environmental Justice Public Participation
Report
Dear Ms. Pestana:
I am writing on behalf of my client, SMART Technology Systems, LLC (“SMART”). With this
letter, I am including a copy of the Environmental Justice Public Participation Report related to
SMART’s proposed Plainfield waste processing and conversion facility.
Should you have any questions concerning this submittal, please contact me at your convenience.
Sincerely,
Lee D. Hoffman
Enclosure
ACTIVE/84477.1/KEBOUCHER/20413622v1
[Page 2]
SMART Technology Systems
Public Participation Report
June 6, 2025
[Page 3]
I. Summary
SMART Technology Systems, LLC (“SMART”) proposes a 45 MW waste processing and
conversion facility to be located in Plainfield, CT. Because Plainfield is defined as an
“environmental justice community” under Connecticut General Statutes § 22a-20a(a)(1),
Connecticut’s environmental justice laws are applicable to the development of this facility.
Pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes § 22a-20a(b), and in accordance with its March 14,
2025 Environmental Justice Participation Plan, SMART hereby submits this Public Participation
Report (“Report”) summarizing environmental justice-related activities conducted to date. This
Report contains a summary of pre-meeting requirements, questions raised during the May 7,
2025 Public Meeting (“May 7 Meeting”) at the Plainfield Town Hall, as well as additional
activities that have taken place since the May 7 Meeting.
As further demonstrated in this public participation report, SMART continues to refine its public
outreach strategy in accordance with guidance from the Department of Energy and
Environmental Protection (“DEEP” or the “Department”) in support of state objectives of
development of renewable energy, waste management, and incorporating local input on needed
facilities to accomplish those objectives where possible. SMART also continues to work to
address, prevent, minimize and mitigate potential offsite impacts of the facility proactively.
Discussions with the Town of Plainfield to evaluate the need for a community environmental
benefit agreement remain ongoing and are anticipated to continue for some time.
II. Pre-Meeting Requirements
SMART executed the Environmental Justice Participation Plan as preliminarily approved by
DEEP on March 28, 2025. On April 4, 2025, letters were sent to all properties within one half
mile of the proposed site. A full listing of those individuals who were sent these letters is
included in Attachment 1 to this report. Of this initial batch, 28 letters were returned as
undeliverable. A SMART representative drove to Plainfield on April 17, 2025 to hand deliver
those letters, and each was left in an obvious visible place (i.e., tucked into a front door) or
personally delivered.
Letters to state and town officials and commissions were sent via certified mail on April 15,
2025. The list of these individuals is contained in the Environmental Justice Public Participation
Plan Addendum at Page 3, and is also replicated in Attachment 1.
Emails to environmental advocates were sent on April 15, 2025. However, representatives of
SMART received a bounceback from [email protected]. A subsequent email was
sent to Joy Yakie, Acadia Center’s Environmental Justice and Outreach Manager on April 16,
2025 at [email protected] .
SMART did not post about the May 7 meeting on the community page on Facebook. However,
when SMART went on that page, it found that an informational post about the May 7 Meeting
was published on the Plainfield CT Residents Facebook Page on April 22, 2025. A screenshot of
that post appears below.
2
[Page 4]
A sign was posted on the property on April 4, 2025, and the sign was visible from Norwich
Road.
3
[Page 5]
Notice was published in the Norwich Bulletin and ran on April 14 and 21 in accordance with
Connecticut General Statutes § 22a-20a(b)(4).
Public notification materials can be found in Attachment 1, including example letters and emails.
All as-sent copies can be provided if requested by the Department. An affidavit confirming
compliance with these requirements is submitted as Attachment 2.
III. Meeting Attendance
The Participation Plan notices were effective, and attendance was high at the May 7 Meeting,
with several hundred attendees present in the Plainfield Town Hall. The meeting began at
7:00pm and concluded at approximately 11:00pm. The meeting began with a short technical and
informational presentation from SMART, followed by a question and answer session. The
videos played are also available on SMART’s website at https://smartmswprocessing.com/.
Approximately fifty residents commented and asked questions regarding the proposed facility.
Many of the residents who attended the meeting voiced their opposition to siting the proposed
facility in the Town of Plainfield. SMART made a reasonable and good faith effort to provide
clear, accurate and complete information about the proposed affecting facility and the potential
environmental and health impacts of such affecting facility or such expansion. SMART
addressed many misconceptions about the technology, but attendees were generally frustrated
and angry about the project. A full video recording of the meeting is available on the SMART
website: https://us.planengage.com/smartmswprocessing/page/News.
IV. Questions Received
Representatives of SMART were asked questions during the May 7 Meeting. Responses to those
questions and other questions submitted through the SMART website are attached hereto in
Attachment 3.
Additional questions that have been submitted to SMART since the May 7 Meeting. The majority
of these questions have been submitted by the Zero Waste Coalition. Responses to these questions
are in Attachment 4. Discussions with the Zero Waste Coalition remain ongoing.
As SMART continues to evaluate the feedback it receives concerning the proposed facility,
SMART is evaluating what changes to the proposed project will be made as a result of the feedback
SMART has received.
V. Next Steps and Continued Outreach
The Zero Waste Coalition has requested that representatives of Smart engage their members in
an additional public forum to answer questions. SMART believes that a DEEP-facilitated
meeting could have some value, but SMART seeks the Department’s guidance as to how to
facilitate such a meeting.
4
[Page 6]
Representatives of SMART have reached out to Plainfield First Selectman Kevin Cunningham to
discuss and evaluate the feasibility of a community environmental benefit agreement. Potential
topics of discussion include educational-related funding for Plainfield Schools, providing a
power purchase agreement for Town of Plainfield facilities, and opportunities for noise and
traffic mitigation.
In addition, SMART has posted materials relating to its permitting activities and the public
outreach associated with this project to its website. This information, including but not limited
to, the permit application, the public participation plan, the Traffic Study and the supplement to
the Traffic Study are all posted at: https://us.planengage.com/smartmswprocessing/page/News.
In addition to those materials, a full, unedited video of the May 7 Meeting can be found on that
page. Finally, it should be noted that there is a button on every page of the SMART website
which will allow members of the public to submit comments directly to SMART.
5
ACTIVE/84477.1/KEBOUCHER/20403702v2
[Page 7]
[No extractable text detected on this page. See the archived PDF image.]
[Page 8]
PULLMAN LEE D. HOFFMAN
90 State House Square
Hartford, CT 06103-3702
&COMLEY p (860) 424-4315
f (860) 424-4370
[email protected]
www.pullcom.com
April 4, 2025
Via United States Mail
To the Residents Located Near
The Intersection of Norwich Road and Black Hill Road
Plainfield, CT
Re: Public Informational Meeting Announcement By Smart Technology Systems, LLC
Dear Resident:
Please be advised that this office represents Smart Technology Systems, LLC (“the Applicant”),
a developer of recycling and renewable energy facilities. The applicant is proposing to construct
and operate a first-in-the-country, next-generation Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management,
recycling and power generation complex. The Applicant is aware that the proposed facility will
constitute a major new project in Plainfield, CT and is working very hard to address, prevent,
minimize and mitigate potential offsite impacts proactively. The proposed project will be
constructed on an 81.2-acre parcel located near the intersection of Norwich Rd (RT-12) & Black
Hill Rd (RT-14) in Plainfield. More information on the location of the site is provided on the
enclosed USGS map.
We are writing this letter to provide notice that the Applicant is in the process of submitting
applications to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to
construct, install, enlarge, or establish a facility that will be designed to recycle MSW into refuse
derived fuel (RDF) to produce electricity as well as recycled commodities, handling
approximately 1,800 tons per day of MSW and producing approximately 45 megawatts of
electric power. The project will be comprised of a bulk waste handling facility for material
separation, a gasification system, anaerobic digester, boiler system and steam turbine generator
for electric generation.
In order to provide the community with additional information about this facility, the Applicant
will be hosting a public information meeting, open to the general public, as follows:
LOCATION: Plainfield Town Hall, 8 Community Avenue, Plainfield, CT
TIME AND DATE: 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 7, 2025
pullcom.com Bridgeport Hartford Springfield Stamford Waterbury Westport White Plains
[Page 9]
Page 2
The agenda for the meeting will be as follows:
1. Introduction of the applicant team
2. General overview of the project
3. Layout and description of the facility
4. Environmental i-mpaets and benefits associated with the facility
5. Questions and answers from the public
Interested persons may obtain copies of the permit applications for the facility from William J.
Corvo, Manager, Smart Technology Systems, LLC, 112 Wall Street, Torrington, Connecticut,
06790, [email protected] or by going to www.smartmswprocessing.com.
Public comments may also be submitted by going to the project’s website
(ww vv.smartmsvvprocessing.com) and clicking on the Public Comments button in the lower
right-hand comer of the page. If you prefer, comments may also be submitted by US mail
(Smart Technology Systems; 112 Wall Street; Torrington, Connecticut, 06790) or electronic mail
([email protected]).
We look forward to receiving your comments and answering any questions you may have about
this facility.
Sincerely,
Lee D. Hoffman
ACTIVE/84477.1/KSHEATHELM/20269965vl
[Page 10]
MV
-'■"' ......1’1JCOKNECTKUT
’corn.eM- h
■ U:fn :
o
Sltfsr* MiU
CM RrinfcfM
G»r*
Plninfi dd
Village
23 'LtnlFn Ncdh
Whdyjr. CTQWS6
Rtitnit. ta*.2M938Q
Apprti»im«te .Seas FT SMART TECHHOLOm SYSTEMS, LLC
PLAINFIELD, CaNNECTJCVF
AtwradmiCe Sole MLE
J-240(® USGS Map
DASC CHEATED WH 7.5 USG5 TOPOGRAPHIC MAP
PLAINFIELD, CT 2023
DATE. 0&2D24 PROJECT NO. 555B78.C«ffi3.i:<lKI
[Page 11]
UNITED STATES
POSTAL SERVICE® Certificate of Mailing — Firm
Name and Address of Sender TOTAL NO. TOTAL NO.
of Pieces Listed by Sender of Pieces Received at Post Office ™ Affix Stamp HerePostmark with Date of Receipt.
PULLMAN & COMLEY, LLC
Attorneys At Law US roSTAGEMiPITNEYB0WES
90 State House Square I I ON
Postmaster, per (name of receiving employee) *p°6io3 $013.20°
Hartford, CT 06103
0008033415 APR 04 2025
USPS® Tracking Number Address
Firm-specific Identifier (Name, Street, City, State, and ZIP Code™)
1.
Resident/Occupant
27 Black Hill Road
Plainfield, CT 06374
2.
Resident/Occupant
28-30 Black Hill Road
Plainfield, CT 06374
3.
Resident/Occupant
29 Black Hill Road
Plainfield, CT 06374
4.
Resident/Occupant
31 Black Hill Road
Plainfield, CT 06374
5. Resident/Occupant
32 Black Hill Road
PI a i nf iel d7CT‘T)6374
Resident/Occupant
36 Black Hill Road
Plainfield, CT 06374
PS Form 3665, December 2024 (Page of ) PSN 7530-17-000-5549 See Reverse for Instructions
[Page 12]
UNITED STATES
POSTAL SERVICE® Certificate of Mailing — Firm
Name and Address of Sender TOTAL NO.TOTAL NO.
of Pieces Listed by Sender of Pieces Received at Post Office™ Affix Stamp HerePostmark with Date of Receipt.
PULLMAN & COMLEY, LLC
Attorneys At Law US POSTAGE “'PITNEY BOWES
90 State House Square
Hartford, CT 06103 -CORRECT! ON
?2P ?^03 $ 013.20°
0008033415 APR. 04 2025
USPS® Tracking Number Address Fee Parcel Airlift
Firm-specific Identifier (Name, Street, City, State, and ZIP Code™)
BfisideniZQmjpant
12 School Street Extension
Plainfield, CT 06374
Resident/Occupant
21 Black Hill Road
PTaihflerarCT‘06374
Resident/Occupant
23 Black Hill Road
Plainfield, CT 06374
4. --------------------------------
Resident/Occupant
24 Black Hill Road
Plainfield, CT 06374
5. ------------------------=--------
_____Resident/Occupant
25 Black Hill Road
PlaihfiddTcT’OSS/T'
Town of Plainfield
26 Black Hill Road
Plairffield, CT 06374
PS Form 3665, December 2024 (Page of ) PSN 7530-17-000-5549 See Reverse for Instructions
[Page 13]
UNITED STATES
€2 POSTAL SERVICE® Certificate of Mailing — Firm
Name and Address of Sender TOTAL NO.TOTAL NO.
of Pieces Listed by Sender of Pieces Received at Post Office™ Affix Stamp HerePostmark with Date of Receipt.
PULLMAN & COMLEY, LLC
Attorneys At Law US POSTAGE imi PITNEY BOWES
90 State House Square
Hartford, CT 06103 ZIP 06103 $013 20°
02 7/1 *
0003033415 APR. 04. 2025
USPS® Tracking Number Address Postage Fee Parcel Airlift
Firm-specific Identifier (Name, Street, City, State, and ZIP Code™)
1. Residenf/Orrnpant_____________
39 Black Hjll Road
Plainfield, CT 06374
2. Resident/Occupant
41 Black Hill Road
Plainfield, CT 06374
3.
Resident/Occupant
42 Black Hill Road
Plainfield, CT 06374
4.
Resident/Occupant
47 Black Hill Road
Plainfield, CT 06374
5.
Resident/Occupant
49 Black Hill Road
Plainfield, CT 06374
Central Village Fire District
53 Black Hill Road
Plainfield, CT 06374
PS Form 3665, December 2024 (Page of _ ) PSN 7530-17-000-5549 See Reverse for Instructions
[Page 14]
UNITED STATES
POSTAL SERVICE® Certificate of Mailing — Firm
Name and Address of Sender TOTAL NO. TOTAL NO.
of Pieces Listed by Sender of Pieces Received at Post Office™ Affix Stamp HerePostmark with Date of Receipt.
PULLMAN & COMLEY, LLC US POSTAGEPITNEY bow 53
Attorneys At Law
^MS-MP-CORRECT i ON
90 State House Square 103 $ 013.20°
Hartford, CT 06103 15 APR. 04. 2025.
USPS® Tracking Number Address Parcel Airlift
Firm-specific Identifier (Name, Street, City, Stata, and ZIP Code™)
1.
Resident/Occupant
57-59 Black Hill Road
Plainfield, CT 06374’
Resident/Occupant
64 Black Hill Road
Pla infieId, CT 06374 ’
Resident/Occupant_________________
69 Black Hill Road
Plainfield, CT 06374 ~
Resident/Occupant
71 Black Hill Road
Plainfield,■CTTJ6374
Resident/Occupant_______________________
77 Black Hill Road
Plainfield, CT 06374
Resident/OccupantThis is the opening portion of a long document. Use Download complete plain text above for the full extracted transcript.