One of the most pressing issues facing CRRA today is landfill capacity. With the Hartford landfill now closed, CRRA must send ash from the Hartford trash-to-energy plant and trash that can't be turned into energy to privately-owned landfills, driving up the costs of trash disposal for its cities and towns.

The Hartford landfill is divided into two sections.

• One section is a fully-lined disposal area specifically designed to receive ash residue from the Hartford trash-to-energy plant.
• The other section received bulky waste such as old furniture and rolls of carpeting and process residue from the refuse-derived fuel process at CRRA's Hartford trash-to-energy plant. This area is protected by a 40 foot-deep slurry wall around its perimeter, a storm water runoff collection system and a landfill gas collection system that burns gas created by decomposing waste and turns it into electricity.

But once a landfill is closed, state regulations require monitoring and maintenance for 30 years. At its Ellington and Shelton landfills, CRRA maintains groundwater monitoring and gas collection systems to keep the surrounding environment safe.

In the meantime, CRRA wants to know how you think the Hartford landfill should be used once it is closed. Click here to find out more and share your thoughts.