Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection

Emergency Burn Ban In Effect 10/26/24 - An emergency burn ban is now in effect for all Connecticut State Parks, Forests, and Wildlife Management areas, prohibiting the use of all outdoor grills, firepits, and campfires, and the kindling and use of flame outdoors. DEEP and local agencies are working to contain several active fires across the state. Please avoid all affected State Parks and Forests, as well as the blue-blazed Mattabesett Trail. The Enduro Trail in Voluntown and portions of North Stonington within the Pachaug State Forest are closed at this time. Please note that today's forest fire danger report remains at an 'extreme' level. More information about the current fire danger, burn ban and recommended safety measures can be found here

Current Permit Authorization Pathways for Food Waste Management

Facilities receiving food waste generated elsewhere are a category of solid waste facility and, per Section 22a-208a of the Connecticut General Statutes, require a solid waste permit.

Below is a description of current streamlined authorization pathways for the management of food waste through collection and transfer or receipt and processing/composting of organic materials.

Current Authorization Pathways for Food Waste Management

January 2022

Proposed Activity

Facility and Authorization Type

Authorizing Pathway

Capacity Limitations

How To/Getting Started

Collection and Transfer of Food Waste

Food Waste* Collection and Transfer

 

 

*Food Waste means food scraps, food processing residuals and soiled or unrecyclable paper.

Municipal Transfer Station Registered under the Municipal Transfer Station General Permit (“MTS GP”).

Municipal Transfer Station General Permit Appendix Part II. Management Requirements and Capacity Limits for Specific Waste Types (5).D.

Receipt: 1,000 tons per day (tpd) for all wastes combined.

 

Storage: Maximum 80 cubic yards (cy) for food waste.

Written notification to the Waste Engineering and Enforcement Division (“WEED”) per MTS GP Appendix Part I General Operating Condition (1). to begin receipt of food waste as a waste type at a Municipal Transfer Station.

 

Variance provision in Appendix Part II Condition No. (3) of the MTS GP.

 

Storage: Greater than 80 cy.

Request a variance to increase the food waste storage limit per MTS GP Appendix Part II Condition No. (3).

 

Municipal Transfer Station permitted through an Individual Solid Waste Facility Permit.

Modification of individual facility permit pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes (“CGS”) §22a-208a(d).

 

Determined based on specific request.

Pre-application meeting followed by an application to modify an existing solid waste facility permit authorizing the transfer station operations.

 

Satellite Collection Location authorized under the MTS GP Registration.

MTS GP

Appendix Part I Condition (5).O.

Storage: 2 cy of food waste.

Letter request to WEED per MTS GP

Appendix Part I Paragraph (1) and Paragraph (5).O.

 

Variance provision in Appendix Part II Condition No. (3) of the MTS GP.

 

Variance request for greater than 2 cy storage at satellite location(s).

Letter request as noted above and variance request to increase the food waste storage limit per MTS GP Appendix Part II Condition No. (3).

 

Commercial/Private Facility – Small-scale

through a General Permit.

General Permit for the Construction and Operation of a Commercial Facility for the Management of Recyclable Materials and Certain Solid Wastes – Appendix H (“Commercial GP").

 

Tier I

Receipt: 20 tpd

Storage: 120 cy for 72 hrs.

Tier II

Receipt: 50 tpd

Storage: 200 cy for 48 hrs.

*Limited Processing/depackaging allowed

 

Pre-application meeting followed by a Commercial GP Permit Application.

Commercial/Private Facility – large-scale

through an Individual Solid Waste Facility Permit.

Individual Permit / Permit Modification

Receipt: greater than 30 tpd. Current permitted facilities may receive up to 75 tpd without a permit modification (per PA 21-16, effective October 1, 2021).

 

Storage: greater than 80 cy at any one time. Current permitted facilities may store up to 150 cy at any one time without a permit modification (per PA 21-16, effective October 1, 2021).

 

Pre-application meeting followed by an application for an Individual Permit / Permit Modification.

 

Written notification to the WEED is required for current facilities to increase receipt of food waste to 75 tpd and storage capacity of food waste to 150 cy without a permit modification.

Processing/Composting of Food Waste

Food Waste Receipt and Processing/

Composting

Municipal Transfer Station General Permit Registered facility for In-vessel food waste composting**

 

 

** i.e., Earth Tub or similar

MTS GP

Appendix Part I. Condition (1) – Facility Design and Management Applicable Standards

 

Determined based on specific request.

Pre-application meeting followed by written request to WEED noting change to the design or construction of the Facility per MTS GP

Appendix Part I. Condition (1).

Food waste Composting at an existing Municipal or Commercial/Private Registered Leaf Composting Facility.

Demonstration Project

Determined based on specific request.

Pre-application meeting followed by an application for Demonstration Project Approval.

 

Supplemental Guidelines for developing an Operations and Management Plan (“O&MP”).

 

Municipal or Commercial/Private Proposed Facility to Compost food waste.

 

No existing Registered Leaf Composting Facility.

Registration of Leaf Composting Facility and Demonstration Project

Determined based on specific request.

Pre-application meeting followed by Leaf Composting Facility Registration Packet and an application for Demonstration Project Approval.

 

Supplemental Guidelines for developing an O&MP.

 

Construction and Operation of a Solid Waste Facility (“Individual Permit”)

 

Determined based on specific request. (>5,000cy/year)

Pre-application meeting followed by and application for an Individual permit.

 

Supplemental Guidelines for developing an O&MP.

 

Small scale composting facility with an authorization pursuant to a Water Discharge Permit.

 

Industrial Stormwater GP or

Miscellaneous Discharge GP

Exempt from Solid Waste Permitting

 

Less than 5,000 cy/year of food waste.

Pre-application meeting with WEED and Water Protection and Enforcement Division.

 

On-farm anaerobic digestion (“AD”) of food waste and manure.

Per CGS §22a-208cc, On-farm AD is exempt from solid waste permitting if facility is:

  • co-located with an animal feeding operation
  • feed stock consists of at least 50% farm-generated organic waste
  • ·no more than 40% of feedstock is food waste (per PA 21-16).

Food waste limited to 40% of total volume and 50% of feedstock must be farm-generated organic waste.

Pre-application meeting

Construction and Operation of a Solid Waste Facility (“Individual Permit”)

Feedstock food waste content >40% or any other non-farm generated organic waste is proposed.

 

Pre-application meeting and application for an Individual permit.

 

Commercial/Private facility seeking to explore innovative technology or processes for composting

 

Demonstration Project

 

Determined based on specific request.

 

Pre-application meeting followed by an application for Demonstration Project Approval.

 

Content last updated January 2022