TRASH INCINERATOR CONTRACT RENEWED INFRARED HELICOPTER INSPECTIONS BEING DONE BY EVERSOURCE

Preston — The company that runs the trash-to-energy incinerator in Preston on Wednesday announced a new agreement that extends its contract to run the facility through December 2020.

Covanta, based in Morristown, N.J., has run the Southeastern Connecticut Resource Recovery Facility for the Southeastern Connecticut Regional Resource Recovery Authority since 1991. The incinerator handles solid waste, recyclables, household hazardous waste and other materials for 12 local towns: East Lyme, Griswold, Groton, Ledyard, Montville, New London, North Stonington, Norwich, Preston, Sprague, Stonington and Waterford.

The waste-to-energy incinerator at the facility produces 18 megawatts of electricity, enough to power about 15,000 homes,

Eversource will begin conducting inspections of high-voltage electrical equipment on rightsof-way throughout Connecticut this week.

This semiannual inspection is an important part of the company’s ongoing commitment to providing reliable electric service, the company said in a news release.

The work involves the use of blue-and-silver or blue-andwhite helicopters equipped with heat-sensing, infrared scanning technology that can detect potential equipment issues before they occur.

Inspections will take place from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. through March 1.

Locally, inspections will take place in East Lyme, Ledyard, Lyme, Montville, North Stonington, Old Saybrook and Waterford.